CHINA plans to build a nuclear power plant in the disputed South China Sea are “moving ahead steadily”, according to state media.
The nuclear power plant aims to primarily provide power for people living in the city of Sansha but construction of the energy resource has infuriated surrounding countries who also believe they have a claim to the maritime area, as well as the US.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all also believe they have sovereignty over the sea.
China’s People’s Daily, owned by the Communist Party have reported that the new power plant will increase the state’s military presence in the area.
It said: “To improve the livelihood and work conditions of people living on the islands, and strengthen the necessary military defence of the South China Sea within China's sovereignty, China has rationally expanded the area of its islands and reefs.”
The South China Sea sees $4-5 trillion (£2.9-3.7 trillion) worth of goods transported through the area each year and is thought to be home to lucrative minerals.
However, China’s plans to militarise the area are of bigger concern to many nations.
Beijing will launch their new super-dredger Tianjing machine next summer and there are concerns that it could be used to create artificial islands used as military bases in the disputed water channel.
China built more than 290,000 square meters of new land in 2017 alone.
Jay Batongbacal, professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law, has warned that China’s actions are likely to not only infuriate neighbours but also the US.
He said: “With China's innovations and establishment of these artificial islands and the kinds of facilities that they are installing, the United States feels threatened already by this because this time weapons are being installed there.”
He added that the construction of military infrastructure on the islands in the sea is “nothing that has ever been seen before in this area in the past years”.
The US has previously used its military presence in the area to forcefully raise their concerns regarding China’s claim to the territory.
In October three US ships, the USS Chafee, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, sailed passed the Paracel islands to challenge China’s “excessive maritime claims" in the region.
While China, Taiwan and Vietnam all claim the islands belong to them, US military officials have long argued the region should be open for other nations to travel through.
China has described US decisions to sail through the waters as behaviour that “threatened the sovereignty of the South China Sea countries”.
In September Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said: “For some time now, some countries have used the pretext of freedom of navigation to bring their planes and fleets near the South China Sea.
"Actually, I think this is behaviour that has threatened the sovereignty of South China Sea countries.”