Ministry: Nansha buildup is proper

China's bolstering of defenses on the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea will ensure regional peace and security and does not target any country, the Ministry of National Defense said on Tuesday.

"The Nansha Islands are Chinese territory, and China's establishing of a necessary military garrison and hardware on its islands is within its proper right as a sovereign nation," Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, the ministry's spokesman, said in an online statement in response to a recent report on China's military buildup in the region.

Strengthening military deployment in the area will "help protect national sovereignty and security, maintain the safe and smooth sailing of ships in the region and ensure regional peace and security", he added.