Australia asks China to explain island building in the East Sea

(Baonghean.vn) - The Sydney Morning Herald reported on February 15 that Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop will use her visit to Northeast Asia from February 15-19 to demand China explain its illegal, massive island-building program in the East Sea, amid concerns that China may militarize these artificial islands.

Satellite photo of Cross Reef in Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago, which China illegally occupied and built. (Source: AFP)

Ms. Bishop also said that during a meeting with her counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, she would call on China to take further action to restrain neighboring North Korea, which has just launched a long-range missile despite warnings from the international community.

Australia's plans to build a new submarine fleet and broader regional security issues will be high on Ms Bishop's agenda during her visit to Japan and China.

The visit comes as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government continues to consider whether to join the US in freedom of navigation patrols in disputed waters in the East Sea./.

According to Vietnam+