China criticises Barack Obama over South China Sea remarks

BEIJING: US President Barack Obama's remarks that China is using its "sheer size and muscle" to push around smaller nations in the South China Sea (SCS) today drew strong reaction from the communist giant which said America has the "biggest muscle" in the world.

"Where we get concerned with China is where it is not necessarily abiding by international norms and rules and is using its sheer size and muscle to force countries into subordinate positions," Obama said at an event in Jamaica.

Obama's comments came as China yesterday unveiled details of its plan for building and maintenance projects on some of its islands in SCS.

Reacting to Obama's comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, "The US leader talked about China's 'sheer size and muscle', but one can also see clearly who has the biggest size and muscle in the world."

Defending China's construction projects in the SCS, Hua said yesterday that "We are setting up shelters, aids for navigation, search and rescue as well as marine meteorological forecasting services, fishery services and other administrative services".

"These will provide necessary services to China, neighboring countries and individual vessels sailing in the South China Sea," she said as the plan were criticised by Philippines, which along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan contest Beijing's claim that all most all of SCS belongs to it.

Hua said the construction work also aims to meet "necessary demands" for China's military defence, but the efforts "are aimed more at providing civilian services" in an area that suffers frequently from typhoons and where many vessels sail far from land.

"The construction work is a matter that is entirely within the scope of China's sovereignty. It is fair, reasonable and lawful. It does not affect, and is not targeted against, any country. It is beyond reproach," Hua said.

"We hope that the US side can respect efforts by China and ASEAN countries and genuinely make efforts to safeguard peace and stability of hte SCS and the region," she said today.