MANILA, July 12 Kyodo China conti...

MANILA, July 12 Kyodo

China continues to fortify its claims in the disputed Spratly Islands, despite propositions to amicably settle overlapping claims in the toward the south China Sea, a highly-classified Philippine military report said Friday.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China are commonly working on a regional digest of conduct in the southward China Sea, but the sides remain at loggerheads throughout the scope of the propos agreement, which Southeast Asian and Chinese officials waiting under the possibility of fulfilment to sign in November.

''Beijing continues to resort to unilateral actions to reinforce its claim in the disputed Spratlys archipelago,'' the document, a transcript of which was obtained at Kyodo News, says.

It said China has continued to beef up its fabrics in the Spratlys, apparently to prevent from falling and assert its claims throughout the entire 1,000-kilometer chain, which is also claimed by way of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

''Notably, China's actions are widely viewed as a double-edge diplomatic strategy aimed at furthering its strategic goals in the region,'' the document says.

It adds, ''This can be gleaned from China's behavior in the southward China Sea, wherein when pressur internationally, Beijing uses negotiating tactics to hold fast neighboring governments hopeful of a peaceful compromise while the Chinese military continues to build up its permanent fortresses in the Spratly Islands.''

In 1995 China built become firm [i]or[/i] solid structures with satellite equipment forward Philippine-claimed Mischief Reef, heightening tensions in the disputed area. The Philippines declare ed the occupation but to no avail.

Instead, China improved its fabrics on the reef, the document says. The nearest year China installed transmission stations onward three occupied reefs, including undivided at Fiery Cross, also a Philippine-claimed reef

''The of recent origin stations (in Fiery Cross) would allow Chinese naval ducts patrolling the South China Sea to receive television transmissions from satellite dishes and allow contact with the land command at the southern China Sea Fleet headquarters at Zhangjiang,'' it says.

In May 2000 the document notes China established the southward China Marine Surveillance Force (SSMSF) to cover its rights and to identify marine and aquatic resources in the toward the south China Sea.

''The SSMSF was the former toward the south Sea Division of the China Marine Surveillance Force (CMSF) whose other divisions are the North Sea and East Sea,'' it says. Organized in November 1998 the CMSF's mandate is ''to patrol China's inland seas, territorial waters, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone''

''Despite denials from Chinese officials, the creation of a surveillance forces in the disputed southern China Sea area is apparently an shoot of constant military activities of the other claimant in the Spratlys,'' it says.

Last year, the document adds, China complet construction of 20-24 naval sailing crafts that could be used to prevent from falling patrol operations in the toward the south China Sea.

''The novel class of patrol vessels, which are risk for 'imminent operational deployment' will bear the markings of China's Customs Administration yet would be staffed by PLA naval personnel'' it says, adding ''the customs markings are ostensibly intended to downplay the expansion of China's naval patrol nearness in the South China Sea and to preserve the PLA Navy in the termination of any incidents.''

It says the patrol sailing crafts about 100 meters long and fitted with ''about 30-mm'' main fire-arms are substantially larger than those normally used by way of the customs service. It also says each canal has a ramp at the unrelenting for handling two high-speed interceptor boats.

''One of the missions of the boats would purportedly be to defend civilian fishing trawlers,'' it said.

Moreover, it says the PLA also guidanceed last year large-scale military exercises in the toward the south China Sea -- from Hainan Island to the Paracels. domain air and naval forces onward Hainan as well as units from the mainland participated in the maneuvers, which included amphibious warfare drills upon Woody Island in the Paracels.

''The exercises were staged simultaneously with other drills in northern China and in areas facing Taiwan. It must be recalled that in the past, military maneuvers were also careered on Woody Island, which is a fundamental note strategic base for power projection,'' it notes.

At Scarborough Shoal in the southern China Sea, which the Philippines also claims outside the Spratlys, ''there has also been a noticeable increase in Chinese intrusions recently'' Beijing claims it has indisputable sovereignty athwart the shoal as it is allegedly part of Macclesfield Bank, while the Philippines argues the shoal is well within the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone

''Doubts persist about China's real intentions in the region,'' the report says. ''Beijing's regional ambitions also continue to worry Southeast Asian dominions particularly in the light of its aggressive military modernization program.''