China has repeated its stance on the South China Sea issue saying that its deployment of missiles in the region is no different from the US Pacific Command (PACOM) military operations in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing  is under the obligation to defend its sovereignty in the disputed islands, which happens to be an international waterway.

Like Us on Facebook

Beijing's pronouncements that it will continue to defend the artificial islands in the region is indicative of its aggressive position that it has legitimate jurisdiction over the disputed islands - in the same way that Hawaii is within the territory of the US.

                                                  Claimant-countries

Beijing has reiterated that it will not attempt to militarize the region despite US' naval and aerial patrols coupled with its military exercises which, Beijing has said, have intensifies tension among claimant-countries in the South China Sea.

China has emphasized from the beginning that its construction of facilities in the disputed islands are purely for civilian efforts.

But the US has casted a fresh shade of doubt on Beijing's proclamation following news that China has deployed surface-to-air missiles to one of the contested islands.

                                                   No talks

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is in the US for a series of discussions with US Secretary of State John Kerry, said Beijing does not expect any talks to take place  on the South China Sea issue because the US is not involved in the dispute.

Wang's talks with Kerry this week will instead focus on North Korea nuclear issue and economic trade.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the topic of South China Sea should not even be brought up between the two leaders because the US is not part of the dispute.

                                                      Hawaii

"China's deploying necessary, limited defensive facilities on its own territory is not substantively different from the United States defending Hawaii," Hua said.

Hua's statements seems to be an admission that the islands are being militarized, according to political experts.

Hua blamed the US for militarizing the South China Sea with its air and sea patrols and conducting multilateral military exercises with other countries under the principle of freedom of navigation.

                                                 US militarization

"It's this that is the biggest cause of the militarization of the South China Sea," Hua said.

She noted that Beijing hopes the US does not practice "double standards" on the issue and does not confuse "right from wrong" as it continues to intervene in China affairs.

TagsPacific Command (PACOM), South China Sea, china, disputed islands, Chinese sovereignty