AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

Sunday 5 August 2012

WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday accused China of raising tensions through a new military garrison in the South China Sea as it called on all sides to lower tensions in the hotly contested waters.
China announced last week that it was establishing the tiny city of Sansha and a garrison on an island in the disputed Paracel chain, infuriating Vietnam and the Philippines which have accused Beijing of intimidation.
“We are concerned by the increase in tensions in the South China Sea and are monitoring the situation closely,” US State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said in a statement.

“In particular, China's upgrading of the administrative level of Sansha city and establishment of a new military garrison there covering disputed areas of the South China Sea run counter to collaborative diplomatic efforts to resolve differences and risk further escalating tensions in the region,” he said.
Ventrell also pointed to “confrontational rhetoric” and incidents at sea, saying: “The United States urges all parties to take steps to lower tensions.” China says it controls much of the South China Sea, but Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam all claim portions. Vietnam and the Philippines have accused China of stepping up harassment at sea.

The United States has rallied behind Southeast Asian nations, expanding military ties with the Philippines and Vietnam. President Barack Obama has decided to send Marines to Australia in a further show of US power in Asia.

The US Senate approved a resolution late Thursday that “strongly urges” all regional nations to exercise self-restraint and to refrain from permanently inhabiting points in the South China Sea untila code of conduct is reached.

Continue: http://arabnews.com/us-accuses-china-raising-tensions-over-sea-dispute

and this:

China invades Islands, expands Territory by a third

July 30, 2012.

Sansha City didn’t even exist a week ago. Now, it’s the central hub of a shocking military and territorial expansion campaign being carried out by China. Located off the coast of Vietnam, the Paracel Island chain had been in dispute between the two countries. But with China’s surprise invasion last week, the resource-rich territorial waters now rest firmly under the control of the communist Chinese military, increasing China’s overall territory by an additional one-third.

On July 24, China officially established Sansha City and named it as the capital of the island chain. The brand new city will rule over the archipelagos of Nansha, Xisha and Zhongsha. Sansha City is also the location the Chinese military decided to base their military forces. Officials announced that the army garrison will remain to protect the country’s newly acquired territory.

The Chinese military base is small, existing on a 2.5 square kilometer patch of land called Yonxing. But the size of the force may not be as important as what its presence means to its threatened neighbors. According to Sansha City’s newly appointed Mayor, Ziao Jie, the armed forces stationed on the newly captured island chain are meant to, “safeguard national sovereignty and security, to strengthen the protection of resources and overall development in the South China Sea.”

Continue reading: http://www.whiteoutpress.com/articles/q32012/china-invades-islands-...