China appears to have built up significant anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems on all seven of its man-made islands in the South China Sea's Spratly chain, a U.S. think tank reported Wednesday, citing an analysis of new satellite imagery.
The analysis, by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, comes despite a pledge last year by Chinese President Xi Jinping not to "militarize" the islands in the South China Sea. China claims most of the strategic waterway, through which more than $5 trillion in annual trade passes. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all have rival claims.
China's Defense Ministry said in a statement posted to its website Thursday that it was "legitimate and lawful" for it to place defensive military installations on islands where it had "indisputable sovereignty."