US agrees on spy plane deployment in Singapore amid China tensions

The United States has agreed with Singapore on a first deployment of the U.S. P-8 Poseidon spy plane in Singapore this month, a fresh response to China over its pursuit of territorial claims in the South China Sea.

China, which is at loggerheads with Washington and other countries in Beijing’s backyard over the claims, said Tuesday that the move was aimed at militarizing the region. The U.S. and others have accused China of raising tensions, including in its controversial practice of building islands to extend its maritime borders.

The U.S. has conducted sea and air patrols near the disputed Spratly archipelago, the site of the artificial islands. U.S. President Barack Obama said last month that the United States would continue to assert its freedom-of-navigation rights.

But Beijing has rejected the accusations against it and holds that the U.S. has no right to comment on South China Sea territorial disputes.

“I think this kind of increase in military deployment by the United States and pushing regional militarization does not accord with the joint long-term interests of the countries in this region.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing.

In a joint statement after a meeting in Washington on Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen welcomed the inaugural deployment of the new aircraft in Singapore from Dec. 7-14. A U.S. defense official said further deployments in Singapore could be expected.

China claims almost the entire energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of maritime trade passes each year. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

The United States already operates P-8s from Japan and the Philippines, and has also conducted surveillance flights from Singapore's neighbor, Malaysia.

Tuesday’s statement said the P-8 deployment in Singapore would “promote greater interoperability with regional militaries through participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises, while providing timely support for regional [Humanitarian and Disaster Relief] and maritime security efforts.”

The United States and Singapore have long-standing defense ties and the announcement of the P-8 deployment was part of an enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signed by Carter and Ng, which also covers cooperation in fighting transnational terrorism and piracy.

China responded by saying it would continue to build both military and civilian facilities on the islands to which it lays claim. Last month, U.S. B-52 bombers flew near some of China's artificial islands and at the end of October a U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of one of them.

In May, the Chinese navy issued eight warnings to the crew of a U.S. P-8 that flew near the islands, according to CNN, which was aboard the U.S. aircraft. 

Wire services