BEIJING—China has for the first time landed several bombers on an island in the disputed South China Sea, a move that could provoke renewed tensions between countries bordering the strategically vital maritime region.
This is particularly near the five military bases of the Philippines, according to official sources.
Several bombers of various types—including the long-range, nuclear strike capable H-6K—carried out landing and takeoff drills at an unidentified island airfield after carrying out simulated strike training on targets at sea, the Chinese airforce said in a statement Friday.
Wang Mingliang, a defense expert cited in the statement, said the takeoff and landing exercises on islands in the South China Sea will help the air force “strengthen its combat capability to deal with maritime security threats.”
In a report, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of the Center of Strategic and International Studies warned the H-6 aircraft or even China’s basic bombers taking off from Woody Island could cover the entire South China Sea where some Asean member countries have overlapping claims.
“Nearly all of the Philippines falls within the radius of the bombers, including Manila and all five Philippine military bases earmarked for development under the US-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement,” the AMTI warned.
The Xian H-6K, an updated version of the H-6 medium-range bomber, made its first flight in 2007 and entered service in 2009.
The long-range bombers are among estimated 15 bombers that China operates designed for long-range attacks and stand-off attacks.
The AMTI said Woody Island would be used as a blueprint for eventual deployments to the Spratly Islands farther south.
So far, the Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to comment on the issue, which said it had previously asked the public for “diplomatic space,” a new diplomatic phrase regularly used by the present non-career-foreign-chief expressing his way not commenting on the matter.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, on the other hand, also refused to comment and deferred to Cayetano.
Cayetano, however, is currently in Honolulu, Hawaii for an official visit.
Maritime expert and professor Jay Batongbacal said the Philippines’ continuing silence with respect to China’s actions means the country was allowing and accepting China’s control over the disputed South China Sea.
“Impliedly, it is also surrendering any and all hope of pursuing any of its rights and claims in the South China Sea, both now and in the future,” Batongbacal said.
Batongbacal warned that China would keep on claiming the whole waters and its features.
“They will just keep going. Without unity within the region, they have no reason not to,” he said.
The AMTI said that China had built large hangars at all three of its “Big 3” outposts in the Spratlys, particularly Subi, Mischief, and Fiery Cross Reefs, that could accommodate bombers like the H-6 series, as well as the large transport, patrol, and refueling aircraft.
The American think tank said that future deployments to the Big 3 in the Spratlys would bring Singapore and much of Indonesia within range of even China’s lower-end bombers, while the H-6Ks could reach northern Australia or US defense facilities on Guam.
H-6K, which has nuclear strike capability, is capable of attacking US carrier battle groups and priority targets in Asia.
Chinese long-range bomber consists of new engines, can carry more fuel for longer range, and contains revised forward fuselage.
The H-6K has rear 23 mm guns and gunner which is made of electronic components.
The bombers’ landing comes weeks after US network CNBC reported that China had installed anti-ship and air-to-air defenses on outposts in the Spratly Islands that are also claimed by Vietnam and the Philippines, citing sources close to US intelligence.
Washington warned that Beijing would face unspecified “consequences” over its militarization of the South China Sea, and said it had raised the issue with China.
“I believe this is the first time a bomber has landed in the #SouthChinaSea,” Bonnieh Glaser, a China expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, tweeted.
In an analysis published on its website, CSIS said the location of the runway was believed to be Woody Island, China’s largest base in the Paracel Islands, which is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
The South China Sea issue has been brewing for years, with China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam making competing claims in waters with vital global shipping routes and what are believed to be significant oil and natural gas deposits.
China has engaged in years of land-reclamation efforts on reefs it controls in the region and built both civilian and military facilities in the contested area.
Chinese military facilities include air bases, radar and communications systems, naval facilities and defensive weaponry including landing strips able to accommodate military planes.
The bombers, according to experts, can at least each carry 6 air-launcher cruise missiles under its wings.
One bomber can carry CJ-10A cruise missiles with conventional or nuclear warheads; and YL-12 anti-ship missiles.
It can reach a range of 2000 to 2200 kilometers and 400 km, respectively.
The CJ-10 missile was “specially designed to counter the US Navy’s carrier battle groups”, the expert said.
The CJ-10 is the first long-range land attack missile, developed in China. It was specially designed to counter the US Navy’s carrier battle groups.
The air-launcher CJ-10A has a range of 2 000-2 200 km. It can also carry YL-12 anti-ship missiles with a range of around 400 km.
This news comes on the heels of other recent deployments of Chinese military platforms in the South China Sea, including Y-8 military transport planes, YJ-12B cruise missiles, and HQ-9B surface-to-air missile systems on each of the Big 3.
This development comes two days after President Rodrigo Duterte said he was aware of China’s missiles deployment and military assets on its built-up islands in the disputed sea.
But he said there was no point in questioning China’s actions there.
“There is an airport. There are missiles there installed. There are military equipment already in place. So what’s the point of questioning whether the planes land there or not? There’s an airstrip,” Duterte said.
International observers, however, said the landing of H-6K bomber on Woody Island was another recent move by China that further escalates the tension in the region.
Over the past years, China has claimed some of the features of the disputed South China Sea particularly the Philippine-owned-reefs-turned-islands in the Kalayaan Group of Islands (Spratlys) where Beijing has installed weapon system in the region.
The reclamation in the South China Sea started when a standoff happened between the Philippines and China after Manila caught Beijing for catching live turtles and other resources within the country’s territory.
China’s activities over the disputed sea became more visible when the Philippines filed a case before the Arbitral Tribunal and ruled in favor of Manila three years after declaring Beijing’s 9-dash line claim as excessive and illegal.
The Philippines has won an arbitration case against China on July 12, 2016 invalidating Beijing’s nine dash line of its so-called Chinese ancient map.
China, on the other hand, slammed the order and said it would not recognize the Tribunal ruling, stressing its claim to the sea was “indisputable.”
Manila’s arbitration case is limited to determining the role of historic rights and the source of maritime entitlements in the South China Sea and did not tackle territorial ownership.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration’s mandate is limited to the interpretation or application of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea.
Duterte set aside the ruling to forge better ties with China, but vowed to raise it at a proper time during his presidency which ends in 2022.