BEIJING: China has "reasonably" expanded its islands in the disputed South China Sea and this year construction projects there including radar facilities covered about 290,000 square meters (72 acres), according to a new government report. China has conducted extensive land reclamation work on some of the islands and reefs it controls in the South China Sea, including building airports, alarming its neighbours and Washington. Beijing says the work is help provide international services such as search-and-rescue but admits there is a military purpose too. There has been an increase in military patrols too, the report added, without giving specifics. More than $5 trillion of world trade is shipped through the South China Sea every year.

Source: New Strait Times December 25, 2017 02:03 UTC