Defenses depend on threat, naval chief says

The number of the military facilities China builds on its South China Sea islands will depend on the level of threat it faces, the nation's Navy chief told his US counterpart on Wednesday, stressing that Beijing does not seek militarization.

This month, Beijing landed three commercial airplanes on Yongshu Jiao in the Nansha Islands. Vietnam, the Philippines and the United States protested, but Beijing said its sovereignty over the region is indisputable.

Earlier in January, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that China had completed an airfield on Yongshu Jiao, its southernmost airfield.