The Chinese government on Friday accused the US of militarizing the South China Sea, days after civilian satellite images suggesting Beijing had deployed missiles to the disputed Paracel Islands grabbed media attention around the world.

In a seeming reversal of roles, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said US naval operations and joint military exercises in the South China Sea have heightened tensions, sowed mistrust and sparked a military build-up in the territory.

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"The current situation is that the US keeps increasing its military presence in the South China Sea," said Hong, citing US naval operations, surveillance activities and military alliances in the region. "It is those actions -- which heightened tensions in the South China Sea -- that are militarizing the South China Sea."

"Context is Important"

Hong pointed out that the Chinese government has maintained defensive facilities on the Paracels for as long as it has held administrative control over the island chain.

"Yongxing Dao is China's inherent territory," Hong said, using the Chinese name for Woody Island, which is part of the Paracels.  "For several decades, China has been carrying out construction and setting up necessary defense facilities there."

The Paracels are the subject of a long-standing territorial dispute between China, Taiwan and Vietnam. 

Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, appears to share -- at least in part -- Hong's view about Chinese defensive placements on the islands, saying China's reported deployment of missiles there should be viewed in the context of history. 

"Context is important," Swift said, addressing a gathering of information technology and intelligence experts recently. "This isn't exactly new."

Uncanny Timing

Civilian satellite images of Chinese missiles on Woody Island went public just as US President Barrack Obama was concluding a highly-publicized US-led summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in California. 

The timing with which Fox Network broke the news about the images has led critics of the US to conclude tht it was a deliberate attempt to impugn China's commitment to the region's stability before a worldwide audience.

International response to the images was immediate, and criticism of China's motives in the disputed territory was widespread.  Within days, Australia, New Zealand and the EU called on China to defuse tensions in the region. 

Responding to these entreaties, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that China's defensive posture in the South China Sea is limited, and de-militarizing the area requires international cooperation.

"Demilitarization is in accordance with the interests of all parties, but it should not be implemented by only one country or practiced under double or multiple standards," Wang said. "Demilitarization in the South China Sea requires efforts from countries both inside and outside the region."

TagsUS-China relations, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea, Paracel Islands