Manila: The presidential palace expressed concern over the possibility that China would be setting up nuclear stations to power its military installations in the South China Sea islands.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a press briefing on Thursday, said a statement made recently by the Pentagon saying China could bring in nuclear materials in several South China Sea islands may usher the possibility that these facilities would be nuclear energy-powered.

“We are concerned about the entry of anything nuclear, especially in the region, as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) had already declared the whole region a nuclear-free zone,” Roque said.

Leaders of the 10-nation regional bloc had come out with a common stand against nuclear weapons during their 32nd Summit in Singapore, in April.

In its 2018 annual report on Chinese military activity, the US Defence Department aired concerns that Beijing may have already been pushing through with its plans to use nuclear energy to provide power to the seven reefs and islands it claims in the South China Sea.

The seven reefs — built up with structures such as barracks and airstrips for landing jet fighters and cargo aircraft — have become bases for China’s armed forces.

“China’s plans to power these islands may add a nuclear element to the territorial dispute,” the Pentagon report said. “In 2017, China indicated that development plans may be underway to power islands and reefs in the typhoon-prone South China Sea with floating nuclear power stations,” it said.

Roque said that however, at this point, the assumption that the facilities in the Chinese held islands are using nuclear power — or having nuclear warheads for that matter — is a matter of speculation on the part of the Americans. “If we could, we will try verifying it, try approaching any of these suspected nuclear warheads-carrying ships and see if we can actually even board them. I don’t think they (the Chinese) would even allow the vessels to be boarded,” he said.

“The important point to underscore is that we have a nuclear-free policy and that should be applied to all countries, including the Americans, because they have been using nuclear-powered [weapons] and have been stationing warships with nuclear capability as well,” Roque said.

Earlier, US think tanks released photos showing the presence of military aircraft and missiles in the China-occupied islands, located in the area in South China Sea close to countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan.