China installs rocket launchers on disputed reef in South China sea

The report also stated that China had conducted extensive land reclamation work at the Fiery Cross Reef

The Chinese have installed rocket launchers on a disputed reef in the South China sea. This according to a state-run newspaper was done to ward off Vietnamese military combat divers.

The state-run Defense Times newspaper, in a Tuesday report on its WeChat account, said Norinco CS/AR-1 55mm anti-frogman rocket launcher defense systems with the capability to discover, identify and attack enemy combat divers had been installed on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands.

Reuters reported that the Fiery Cross Reef is administered by China but also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. The report did not say when the defense system was installed, but said it was part of a response that began in May 2014, when Vietnamese divers installed large numbers of fishing nets in the Paracel Islands.

The report also stated that China had conducted extensive land reclamation work at the Fiery Cross Reef including building an airport.More than $5 trillion of world trade is shipped through the South China Sea every year. Besides China's territorial claims in the area, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims.

OneIndia News