South China islands for civilian use and not military in nature, says Chinese general

China always insists on resolving divergence and disputes through friendly negotiations with parties directly concerned and will try utmost to avoid unexpected conflicts, a senior Chinese military official said on Saturday.

General Fan Changlong's remarks yesterday came as expectations grow that the US might directly challenge Chinese claims in the South China Sea by sailing a Navy ship inside the 12-nautical mile (21-kilometer) territorial limit surrounding one of the man-made islands.

Concerns have been growing over the rapid appearance of islands created by piling sand atop reefs and atolls controlled by China, which is now adding, harbors, air strips and large buildings.

The US and others have called on Beijing to halt those projects, saying they are destabilizing an increasingly militarized region.

Fan said concerns that the island construction could affect freedom of navigation were unfounded.

"In fact, those construction projects are mainly carried out for civil purposes," Fan told the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing. "As we have promised, the projects will not affect freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Instead, they will enable us to provide better public services to aid navigation and production in the South China Sea."

China's assurances have failed to gain much traction abroad, and speaking shortly after Fan, Admiral Gary Roughead, the former US Chief of Naval Operations, said the rapid expansion of the islands and a lack of clarity from Beijing "heightens suspicions and presents the potential for miscalculations."

While Beijing's assurances are welcomed, confidence measures and increased transparency are needed to assuage China's neighbors of its peaceful intent, Roughead said.

Fan cited the recent launch of operations by two new lighthouses on Chinese island holdings as evidence of good intentions and said Beijing was committed to resolving disputes peacefully.

"We will never recklessly resort to the use of force, even on issues bearing upon sovereignty, and have done our utmost to avoid unexpected conflicts, said the general, a vice chairman of the powerful commission controlling the military that is headed by President Xi Jinping.

Fan also said China would accelerate the establishment of an 8,000-member stand-by force for UN peacekeeping missions promised by Xi at the United Nations last month, as well as a commitment to train 2,000 foreign peacekeepers over the next five years.

-PTI