US EditionVietnam island building in Spratlys may soon surpass China's, report says
Vietnam has expanded artificial islands at eight new features since early 2025, creating about 70% of China's artificial land in the Spratlys, aiming to safeguard claims and counterbalance China.
- Vietnam has significantly expanded island-building in the Spratly Islands as of early 2025, reportedly matching and likely surpassing China's efforts.
- This expansion follows a reclamation campaign initiated in 2021 and builds on Vietnam's occupation of 21 features now all expanded with artificial land.
- Vietnam's construction includes dredging, landfill, and infrastructure such as munitions storage and a new runway at Barque Canada Reef, enhancing defensive and surveillance capabilities.
- The 2016 Hague arbitration dismissed China's broad South China Sea claims, which China rejects, while Beijing condemns Vietnam's island-building as illegitimate and Chinese territory.
- Vietnam's expansion may trigger a regional reclamation race, complicate legal disputes, and potentially strengthen deterrence, with outcomes depending on responses from China, the US, and ASEAN.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Vietnam closing in on China in Spratly island-building, report says | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
WASHINGTON >> Vietnam has significantly expanded island-building work in areas it claims in the Spratly Islands chain of the disputed South China Sea and will match and likely surpass the scale of such activity there by China, a U.S. think tank reported on Friday.
Vietnam island building in Spratlys may soon surpass China's, report says
Vietnam has significantly expanded island-building work in areas it claims in the Spratly Islands chain of the disputed South China Sea and will match and likely surpass the scale of such activity there by China, a U.S. think tank reported on Friday.
Report: Vietnam’s island-building boom could outpace China in the South China Sea
WASHINGTON, Aug 23 — Vietnam has significantly expanded island-building work in areas it claims in the Spratly Islands chain of the disputed South China Sea and will match and likely surpass the scale of such activity there by China, a US think tank reported yesterday.Recent satellite imagery showed that since the start of this year, Vietnam has expanded island-building to eight features previously untouched by a round of reclamation that began …
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