Accusations that China has placed anti-aircraft batteries on a disputed island in the South China Sea are stoking tensions in a region that is grappling with Beijing’s claim to maritime rights that cover nearly the entire area. On Wednesday Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that it had "grasped that Communist China deployed" an unspecified number of missiles on Woody Island in the Paracel group. Moving the ground-to-air missiles onto the island, would allow China to bolster its claim on an important strategic resource. China has been building new islands in the disputed sea by piling sand atop reefs and then adding airstrips and what look like military installations. Read more
