BEIJING
China has said land reclamation projects on some islands and reefs in the South China Sea will be completed in upcoming days, calling development on the frequently disputed territories "lawful, reasonable and justified."
State news agency Xinhua reported Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang as stressing Tuesday that the construction activities on the Nansha Islands - to which the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims - fall within the scope of China's sovereignty.
"They are not targeted at any other country, and do not affect the freedom of navigation and overflight enjoyed by all countries in accordance with international law in the South China Sea," he said in a written statement.
He assured that the construction activities would not cause damage to the local marine ecological system and environment.
The Nansha Islands - commonly known as the Spratly Islands - are a disputed group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea (which fellow claimant the Philippines refers to as the West Philippines Sea).
The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and southern Vietnam and offers rich fishing grounds.
It may also contain significant oil and natural gas reserves.
The U.S. and the Philippines have recently been expressing increasing concern amid Beijing's reported island creation projects atop previously submerged reefs, which have raised concerns among members of the international community who are wary of their impact on freedom of navigation.
The U.S. has issued a strongly worded statement, saying it would not let China take control.
The Philippines, meanwhile, has protested the construction projects, calling them violations of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, to which China is a signatory.
On Tuesday, however, Beijing appeared to be reaching out to its neighbors, Lu saying that Beijing follows a foreign policy of "forging friendship and partnership with her neighbors and a defense policy that is defensive in nature."
He added that China would also push forward for a consultation on a "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea" together with ASEAN member states in order to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, which was signed in 2002; the parties were unable to agree on engagement rules.
