MANILA, Philippines — Beijing has quietly moved forward to dominating airspace control over the West Philippine Sea or the South China Sea as it deploys missile systems on its "big three" islands, a report confirmed. CNBC reported that China quietly deployed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles on Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief Reef and Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands. The installment of the missile weapons comes after China deployed military jamming equipment on Fiery Cross Reef and Mischief Reef. Last month, China reportedly deployed transport military planes on Mischief Reef, which shows a steady pattern of escalation in the region. Defending its actions in the South China Sea, Beijing had claimed "natural rights" to deploy troops and weapons in the Spratlys.

Source: Philippine Star May 03, 2018 03:11 UTC