Related Stories China admits to deploying troops, weapons to South China Sea islandsCollin Koh, maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, shared Zhou's pronouncements at the annual security forum. British journalist Bill Hayton, associate fellow at the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House, said that some of the islands in the South China Sea have Chinese and English names. Under the UNCLOS, artificial islands, installations and structures do not possess the status of islands. Speaking at the same summit, Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe justified China's construction of military facilities on the artificial islands in the South China Sea. Beijing claims the South China Sea islands and reefs as part of its own territory, contrary to the UNCLOS article stating that artificial islands are not considered as islands, having no territorial sea of their own.

Source: Philippine Star June 04, 2019 04:41 UTC