In an exclusive interview, Aquino also warned that China's increasingly assertive actions raised the spectre of other nations having access cut to international shipping lanes and fishing grounds in the sea. "Does it engender fear? Yes, I think it should engender fear for the rest of the world," Aquino said when asked to assess Chinese government moves in recent years to assert its sovereign claims in the sea.
Aquino said that, while he did not believe China intended to engage in a military conflict over the territorial disputes with the Philippines and other Asian nations, that was a possibility. "The question of it escalating to something beyond everybody's control should be at the top of the minds of all world leaders," he said.
Aquino said China was building two airstrips on the expanded land formations, which posed defence concerns for the Philippines. "With these new features, the two airstrips that come to my mind, once operational, puts into effective range the entire country," Aquino said.
"The (Chinese) turnaround time, the sustainability of operations, etcetera, are enhanced by all of these airstrips, and potentially other naval ports."
Read more at Channel NewsAsia
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