Beijing curbs exports of large dredgers used to build artificial islands

BEIJING — China has restricted the export of big dredgers that it has used to build artificial islands in the South China Sea, citing national security concerns.

The Ministry of Commerce said in a notice that from June 1, all export deals for dredgers that might affect national security would require State Council approval. The notice, dated on Thursday, listed five types of dredgers that could dig more than 15m deep, had a large carrying capacity and could dredge at high speed.

China has reclaimed more than 1,295ha of land in the south-eastern South China Sea, according to a Pentagon report released in May last year.

Beijing has installed weapons on seven artificial islands, although it has repeatedly promised not to militarise the area. 

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite partial counter-claims from Taiwan and several South-east Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. It has rapidly turned reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

The United States has challenged annexations of these islets and advocated a diplomatic settlement to the disputes.

Military analyst Zhou Chenming said that in building those islands, Beijing had developed advanced dredging technology that it did not want other countries to obtain, especially those in South-east Asia with competing maritime claims.

“Vietnam has longed for an advanced dredger that can speed up its island-building activities, and China certainly doesn’t wish this rival to have a comparable ability,” said Mr Zhou. “China also does not want the world to take its valued dredging technology.”

China has Asia’s largest dredger, the Tian Jing Hao, which can extract 4,500 cubic metres of sand and rock per hour.

The dredger is owned by Tianjin Dredging Company, one of China Communications Construction Company Dredging’s three subsidiaries.

Tianjin Dredging operates most of the giant barges that have been digging sand from the seabed and piling it on remote coral atolls, including Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross reefs. AGENCIES