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SINGAPORE, June 2-- China's deployment of defensive facilities on its islands in the South China Sea is legitimate and necessary, a senior Chinese military official said here on Saturday. The remarks were made by He Lei, vice president of the Academy of Military Science of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, in response to remarks on the South China Sea made by U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis at the on-going 17th Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-la Dialogue, which opened here on Friday. The South China Sea issue has always been a "hot topic" at the annual Shangri-la Dialogue in recent years, so much so that some have described it as a "golden routine subject," said He, who is head of the Chinese delegation to the Dialogue. China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters, a fact verified by historical evidence and supported by international law, he said. China has always wanted to deal with the South China Sea issue through dialogue and consultation between China and the parties concerned, on the basis of respect for historical facts and in accordance with international law, said the head of the Chinese delegation. The current situation in the South China Sea has calmed down visibly as a result of the joint efforts of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, he said. China's deployment of defensive facilities on its islands in the South China Sea is a legitimate right granted to sovereign states by international law, which has nothing to do with militarization and does not pose a threat to regional security, he said. | 
