World(REUTERS) China has built new military facilities on islands in the South China Sea, a U.S. think tank reported on Thursday, a move that could raise tensions with Washington, which has accused Beijing of militarizing the vital waterway. The United States has criticized China's build-up of military facilities on the artificial islands and is concerned they could be used to restrict free movement through the South China Sea, an important trade route. Trump has sought China's help in reining in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and tension between Washington and Beijing over military installations in the South China Sea could complicate those efforts. China has built four new missile shelters on Fiery Cross Reef to go with the eight already on the artificial island, AMTI said. In February, Reuters reported that China had nearly finished building structures to house long-range surface-to-air missiles on the three islands.

Source: Sunday Times June 30, 2017 00:33 UTC