U.S. says China has placed mobile artillery on reclaimed island

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday that China had placed mobile artillery weapons systems on a reclaimed island in the disputed South China Sea, a development that Republican Sen. John McCain called "disturbing and escalatory."

Brent Colburn, a Pentagon spokesman traveling with Defense Secretary Ash Carter, said the United States was aware of the weapons.

McCain, chairman of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, said the move would escalate tensions but not lead to conflict.

"It is a disturbing development and escalatory development, one which heightens our need to make the Chinese understand that their actions are in violation of international law and their actions are going to be condemned by everyone in the world," he said at a news conference in Ho Chi Minh City.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/u-says-china-placed-mobile-artillery-reclaimed-island-103420204.html

[ManiacJoe]

1. One of the photos in the article reminded me of ones

taken back in the 1950s. The USA does not do atoll testing any more, do we?

[Socal31]

2. Strategically this is an impressive move by China to extend territorial waters.

It isn't about the little sand islands they are building. It is about the SCS ADIZ and eventual regional conquest.

[ManiacJoe]

3. Very true.

I remember back in Nov 2013 when China declared the ADIZ in the ECS, and the response from the rest of the world was basically, "Good luck with that."

The actual building of airstrips casts things in a slightly different light.

[bemildred]

4. My goodness, it's like China doesn't take orders from McCain. nt

[EX500rider]

5. No, more like "My goodness, China likes stealing land from it's neighbors"

[GGJohn]

6. My goodness, it's like China is trying to deny free passage in international waters by claiming

the S. China Sea as their territorial waters.

[FrodosPet]

7. OK, everybody with nukes needs to CTFO yesterday

We don't need this cartoon to become a prophecy.

[jrandom421]

8. No big problem

Nothing a squadron of F/A-18s armed with AGM-65Ds can't take care of.