The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that significant parts of its land reclamation on the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea are close to completion, indicating that the country will soon be ready to set up new outposts in the heart of the waters of Southeast Asia.
The Foreign Ministry, however, did not elaborate on which of the seven reefs currently undergoing reclamation islands are nearing completion, according to Reuters.
"Based on our understanding from the relevant authorities, in accordance with the set work plan, the land reclamation project for China's construction on some islands and reefs on the Nansha (Spratly) islands will be completed soon," read the statement from the Foreign Ministry.
The statement further says that once the reclamation is completed, structures which will fulfill "relevant functions" will be built, reports BBC News.
While the U.S. and China's rivals in the claims to the islands state that the structures being built are military, China has been firm on its stance that the artificial islands will serve search and rescue, disaster relief, research functions and for defense, according to Reuters.
The timeframe for the project was not given in the report.
China claims most of the South China Sea, which hosts a $5 trillion ship trade every year. The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims.
