Page 19 - AAA 18 feb,2016

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UP FRONTThursday 18 February 2016
US accuses China of missiles on disputed island Caribbean reports
M. PENNINGTON
R. BURNS
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
United States warned
Wednesday of rising ten-
sions in the South China Sea
after China appeared to
This image shows Woody Island, the largest of the Paracel Islands, in the South China Sea. A U.S.
official confirmed that China has placed a surface-to-air missile system on Woody Island in the
Paracel chain, but it is unclear whether this is a short-term deployment or something intended to
be more long-lasting.
have placed a surface-to-
air missile system on a dis-
puted island.
Taiwan’s defense ministry
said that China had posi-
tioned anti-aircraft missiles
on Woody Island in the
Paracel chain, which is oc-
cupied by China but also
claimed by Taiwan and
Vietnam.
State Department spokes-
man Mark Toner said com-
Iran snubs Doha
ALI AKBAR DAREINI
Associated Press
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran
appeared Wednesday to
back a plan laid out by
four influential oil producers clear program have been
to cap their crude output if
others do the same, though
it offered no indication that
it has any plans to follow
suit itself.
The agreement reached
in Doha the day before by
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Russia
and Venezuela is aimed at
stabilizing global oil prices, freeze the production ceil-
which recently plunged to
mercial satellite imagery efforts to claim virtually the Washington. Secretary of impact not yet felt
appeared to indicate Chi- entire disputed sea and State John Kerry said the
na has deployed a sur-
face-to-air missile system.
Another U.S. official gave a
more direct confirmation of
the deployment on Woody
Island. The official, who was
not authorized to discuss
the information publicly
and spoke on condition of
anonymity, said it is unclear
whether the deployment is
intended for the long-term.
The deployment fol-
lows China’s building of
new islands by piling sand
atop reefs and then add-
ing airstrips and military
installations. The buildup
is seen as part of Beijing’s
proposal,
less than $30 a barrel, a 13-
year low. But Iran is keen to
ramp up exports to regain
market share now that
sanctions related to its nu-
lifted under a landmark
agreement.
“Iran supports any mea-
sure to boost oil prices,” Oil supply, and said it was up
Minister Bijan Namdar Zan-
ganeh said after talks with
his counterparts from Iraq,
Venezuela and Qatar.
“The decision taken to
ing of OPEC and non-OPEC
its resources, which has signs of increasing militari-
prompted some of its wary zation contradicted a pub-
neighbors to draw closer to lic assurance from Chinese
the U.S. President Xi Jinping when
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign he visited the White House
Minister Wang Yi accused last September.
“When President Xi was
here in Washington, he
stood in the Rose Garden
with President Obama and
said China will not milita-
rize the South China Sea.
(ImageSat International N.V. via AP) But there is every evidence
every day that there has
the media of hyping the been an increase in milita-
issue and saying more at- rization,” Kerry said before
tention should be paid to meeting with Poland’s for-
the “public goods and eign minister in Washington.
services” provided by Chi- “It’s a serious concern,”
na’s development of its he said, adding that he
maritime claims. expected the U.S. would
China’s actions in the have a “very serious con-
South China Sea have be- versation” with China on
coming a source of tension the issue in the next few
not just with other Asian days.
governments that claim U.S. network Fox News re-
territory there, but with ported that China had
moved two batteries of the
HQ-9 surface-to-air missile
system, along with radar
targeting arrays on Woody
island. HIS Jane’s Intelli-
gence Review agreed with
that conclusion in its assess- of all arrivals. Barbados,
ment of commercial satel-
lite imagery of the island.
The review’s deputy edi-
tor Neil Ashdown said that
depending on the version
of the HQ-9 deployed, the
system has a range of be-
tween 125 kilometers (78
miles) and 230 kilometers
(143 miles), and would be
the most advanced sur-
face-to-air missile system
currently deployed on land
in the South China Sea. He
described that as a signifi-
cant military escalation.q
won’t freeze oil output costs, said Frank Comito,
members to stabilize and barrels a day.
boost prices is also sup- “These countries increased
ported by us,” he added, their production by 4 mil-
in comments posted on lion barrels when Iran was
the ministry’s website late under sanctions,” Asali was
Wednesday. quoted as saying by the
Iran’s envoy to OPEC, Mah- Shargh daily. “Now it’s pri-
di Asali, had earlier blamed marily their responsibility to slow growth and even no
the fall in prices on over- help restore balance on
the market. There is no rea-
to Saudi Arabia and others son for Iran to do so.”
to cut production. He said The four countries made
the four nations that partici- their announcement fol-
pated at the Doha gather- lowing an unexpected
ing could stabilize oil prices meeting in the Qatari capi-
on their own -- if they cut tal that pointedly did not
their production by 2 million include Iran. q
tourism surge; Zika
DANICA COTO
Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico
(AP) — The Caribbean on
Tuesday reported a surge
in tourism for 2015 that eas-
ily surpassed the global
growth rate as it set new
arrival and spending re-
cords , though there are
concerns the mosquito-
borne Zika virus could put
a dent in those numbers
this year.
Nearly 29 million people
visited the region last year,
a 7 percent jump that sur-
passed the 4 percent glob-
al tourism growth rate, said
Hugh Riley, secretary gen-
eral of the Caribbean Tour-
ism Organization. Visitors to
the Caribbean spent $30
billion last year, a $1 bil-
lion increase from 2014, he
said.
He credited a stronger U.S.
economy, new flights, low-
er oil prices and persistent
marketing.
U.S. travelers accounted
for 14.3 million visits, repre-
senting roughly 50 percent
Curacao and Trinidad and
Tobago reported the high-
est growth rates in U.S. ar-
rivals. Meanwhile, there
were more than 5 million
arrivals from Europe for the
first time in seven years,
more than 1 million from
Britain alone.
Hotel occupancies and
average daily rates also in-
creased last year for most
hotels, although one-third
of hotels reported a net loss
as they struggled with high
operating and air travel
CEO of the Florida-based
Caribbean Hotel & Tourism
Association.
“While most destinations
have done well and most
hotels did well, that’s not
been the case across the
board,” he said. “There
have been some areas of
growth.”
The news comes as the Ca-
ribbean and Latin America
struggle with an increase
in Zika cases, with Puerto
Rico already reporting
several wedding and busi-
ness conference cancella-
tions. q