I found the article “China's navy buildup in disputed islands” on Thursday too disturbing. The South China Sea, where Beijing is said to be building up its navy, has been described as a powder keg in Asia. There has always been a feeling of fear that any military aggression by any country which has claimed to some islands in the South China Sea could start a shooting war. China has made territorial claims of all small islands — atolls and sandbars actually — in the South China Sea, including those claimed by other countries like the Philippines and Vietnam. The tension has run high because of China's aggressive actions to build structures on some of the islands, including one claimed by the Philippines and near the Philippine shores. China's aggressive posturing in the South China Sea is not in keeping with the standing agreement by all claimants not to take any action that would upset other claimant countries. I hope China, which has been complaining about what it feels as bullying by the United States, should not act like a bully itself. Reynaldo Lachica, Jeddah
