Chinese military aircraft on Nansha Islands was a rescue mission (FM)

China on Monday defended its military aircraft's evacuation of patients from the Nansha Islands, after the move raised concerns from some Western media.

Commenting on the evacuation, Lu Kang, China's foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a press briefing that it is normal for the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to offer assistance in emergencies. "It is not surprising in Chinese territory," Lu said.

Lu's remarks come after a report on the evacuation raised some eyebrows from Western media, which speculated that more military aircraft can be expected on the islands in the South China Sea.

In a front-page story, the PLA Daily said a military aircraft on patrol over the South China Sea on Sunday received an emergency call to land on Yongshu Reef to evacuate three seriously ill workers at the construction site on the reef.

Wu Shengli, commander of the PLA navy, and PLA navy Political Commissar Miao Hua, gave the order to assist the patients from an otherwise time-consuming and jolting trip at sea, the PLA Daily added.

The patients were taken in the transport aircraft to Sanya, South China's Hainan Province for treatment, the report said, with a photo of the aircraft on the ground.

The aircraft was later identified as a Y-8 maritime patrol aircraft, according to Beijing Evening News.

China began to reclaim land on Yongshu Reef in August 2014 and several test flights were conducted on the airport on the reef in January, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

China's test flights to the airport on Yongshu Reef were professional, technical and civil in nature, and the flights were conducted to test whether the airfield's facilities meet civil aviation standards, the Chinese foreign ministry said in January.
 Source:Global Times
18/4/16
--
-
Related:

• South China Sea