Controlling Conflict Only on Surface: Research Shows Vietnam and China's South China Sea Reclamation Race Unabated
Despite recent promises by Vietnamese and Chinese Communist Party leaders to 'de-escalate' South China Sea disputes, a study reveals that both Vietnam and China have been expanding their outposts through land reclamation over the past year, intensifying their territorial claims.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 13:27
- 🔍 Collected: May 9, 2026 at 13:31 (4 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 9, 2026 at 13:47 (15 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Tseng Ting-hsuan, Hanoi, 9th exclusive report) When Vietnamese and Chinese Communist Party leaders met last month, they pledged to 'de-escalate' South China Sea disputes. However, an investigation reveals that both Vietnam and China have been expanding their outposts in the South China Sea over the past year, competing to strengthen their respective territorial claims through land reclamation. Although Beijing still holds the advantage, Hanoi continues to expand its island and reef areas and construction.
The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam visited China last month and met intimately with Chinese President Xi Jinping, showcasing the fraternal ties between the Vietnamese and Chinese Communist parties. Not only did they sign over 30 cooperation agreements, but on the contentious issue of South China Sea sovereignty, they emphasized that the two countries would exercise restraint and 'manage differences,' attempting to de-escalate the dispute.
However, this harmonious atmosphere may only be on the surface. The fact is that neither Vietnam nor China has slowed down their land reclamation activities on disputed islands in the South China Sea; instead, they have both accelerated.
A study released on the 8th by the Washington-based 'Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative' (AMTI) shows that Vietnam continues to expand the size and scope of its outposts in the Spratly Islands, maintaining the pace of island construction seen in previous years, while also beginning to build specialized infrastructure in areas where land reclamation has already been completed.
AMTI points out that since measurements were taken in March last year, Hanoi has pushed ahead with dredging and land reclamation activities at an astonishing speed.
Over the past year, despite Vietnam having completed reclamation operations on multiple islands and reefs, it has added another 534 acres (216 hectares) of land around the Spratly Islands. The completed artificial land reclamation includes Barque Canada Reef, which was completed in Spring 2025 and is currently the largest base at 741 acres (300 hectares).
Since then, Hanoi's dredging and land reclamation efforts have primarily focused on smaller-scale expansions of several new islands and reefs. The new dredging projects have brought Vietnam's total artificial land reclamation area to approximately 2771 acres.
Although Vietnam's island building activities seemed to catch up with China's in early last year, Beijing's new land reclamation activities on Antelope Reef further widened the gap. After China's rapid land reclamation, Antelope Reef's area now exceeds 1490 acres, making it one of China's largest artificial islands controlled in the region today.
The expansion brings increased environmental damage, including the destruction of coral reefs covered by land reclamation and dredging for excavated channels and harbors.
According to the investigation, Vietnam's total coral reef destruction is currently about 4120 acres, approaching China's total coral reef destruction caused by dredging and reclamation in 2023. However, with the addition of Antelope Reef, China's total artificial reclamation area is approximately 5460 acres, with coral reef destruction reaching 6224 acres. Currently, Vietnam's total coral reef destruction area is 66% of China's.
Reports indicate that Vietnam is still reclaiming land on some smaller reefs, with initial dredging work starting late last year. Meanwhile, significant progress has been made in infrastructure construction on larger, more developed islands and reefs.
In 2025, Hanoi had a total of 12 ports across all its outposts. However, satellite images show that three more ports are under construction on Grierson Reef (also known as Ranqing Shazhou by China), Petley Reef, and South Reef.
This will bring Vietnam's total number of ports in the Spratly Islands to 15, 11 of which have been newly built since 2021. Given that Hanoi is still actively reclaiming land on multiple islands and reefs, the number is bound to continue to increase. For example, signs of imminent port construction can be seen on Ladd Reef, which is controlled by Vietnam.
In satellite photos, more specialized infrastructure projects are underway on Barque Canada Reef. Experts analyze that Vietnam has installed a new type of communication facility there, not seen on other islands, and it was completed in April. This system is similar to the navigation beacon system at China's Spratly Islands airport and may be a Doppler VOR (DVOR) that can provide precise navigation for Vietnamese aircraft within a 100-nautical-mile radius.
Beijing's rapid expansion on Antelope Reef exacerbates environmental damage and solidifies China's leading position in the South China Sea island power sphere. However, AMTI wrote, "Unless Beijing continues to expand other islands or deploys equipment on Antelope Reef that is distinctly different from other bases, Vietnam's modifications to its Spratly Islands outposts may have a greater impact on the operational environment in the South China Sea."
"As Vietnam completes most of its island reclamation projects, the transitional phase of infrastructure construction has begun. However, the full impact of Hanoi's expansion in the South China Sea will only become apparent once these facilities are built and the Vietnamese military and law enforcement begin operating from them."
The potential risks between Vietnam and China in the South China Sea are not limited to this. Recently, China unilaterally announced a fishing ban for the annual fishing moratorium in the South China Sea. Vietnam has protested this, demanding that China respect Vietnam's sovereignty and emphasizing that it will assist fishermen in continuing to fish, which may cause further maritime disputes between the two sides. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150509
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to instantly grasp the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.
(Central News Agency reporter Tseng Ting-hsuan, Hanoi, 9th exclusive report) When Vietnamese and Chinese Communist Party leaders met last month, they pledged to 'de-escalate' South China Sea disputes. However, an investigation reveals that both Vietnam and China have been expanding their outposts in the South China Sea over the past year, competing to strengthen their respective territorial claims through land reclamation. Although Beijing still holds the advantage, Hanoi continues to expand its island and reef areas and construction.
The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam visited China last month and met intimately with Chinese President Xi Jinping, showcasing the fraternal ties between the Vietnamese and Chinese Communist parties. Not only did they sign over 30 cooperation agreements, but on the contentious issue of South China Sea sovereignty, they emphasized that the two countries would exercise restraint and 'manage differences,' attempting to de-escalate the dispute.
However, this harmonious atmosphere may only be on the surface. The fact is that neither Vietnam nor China has slowed down their land reclamation activities on disputed islands in the South China Sea; instead, they have both accelerated.
A study released on the 8th by the Washington-based 'Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative' (AMTI) shows that Vietnam continues to expand the size and scope of its outposts in the Spratly Islands, maintaining the pace of island construction seen in previous years, while also beginning to build specialized infrastructure in areas where land reclamation has already been completed.
AMTI points out that since measurements were taken in March last year, Hanoi has pushed ahead with dredging and land reclamation activities at an astonishing speed.
Over the past year, despite Vietnam having completed reclamation operations on multiple islands and reefs, it has added another 534 acres (216 hectares) of land around the Spratly Islands. The completed artificial land reclamation includes Barque Canada Reef, which was completed in Spring 2025 and is currently the largest base at 741 acres (300 hectares).
Since then, Hanoi's dredging and land reclamation efforts have primarily focused on smaller-scale expansions of several new islands and reefs. The new dredging projects have brought Vietnam's total artificial land reclamation area to approximately 2771 acres.
Although Vietnam's island building activities seemed to catch up with China's in early last year, Beijing's new land reclamation activities on Antelope Reef further widened the gap. After China's rapid land reclamation, Antelope Reef's area now exceeds 1490 acres, making it one of China's largest artificial islands controlled in the region today.
The expansion brings increased environmental damage, including the destruction of coral reefs covered by land reclamation and dredging for excavated channels and harbors.
According to the investigation, Vietnam's total coral reef destruction is currently about 4120 acres, approaching China's total coral reef destruction caused by dredging and reclamation in 2023. However, with the addition of Antelope Reef, China's total artificial reclamation area is approximately 5460 acres, with coral reef destruction reaching 6224 acres. Currently, Vietnam's total coral reef destruction area is 66% of China's.
Reports indicate that Vietnam is still reclaiming land on some smaller reefs, with initial dredging work starting late last year. Meanwhile, significant progress has been made in infrastructure construction on larger, more developed islands and reefs.
In 2025, Hanoi had a total of 12 ports across all its outposts. However, satellite images show that three more ports are under construction on Grierson Reef (also known as Ranqing Shazhou by China), Petley Reef, and South Reef.
This will bring Vietnam's total number of ports in the Spratly Islands to 15, 11 of which have been newly built since 2021. Given that Hanoi is still actively reclaiming land on multiple islands and reefs, the number is bound to continue to increase. For example, signs of imminent port construction can be seen on Ladd Reef, which is controlled by Vietnam.
In satellite photos, more specialized infrastructure projects are underway on Barque Canada Reef. Experts analyze that Vietnam has installed a new type of communication facility there, not seen on other islands, and it was completed in April. This system is similar to the navigation beacon system at China's Spratly Islands airport and may be a Doppler VOR (DVOR) that can provide precise navigation for Vietnamese aircraft within a 100-nautical-mile radius.
Beijing's rapid expansion on Antelope Reef exacerbates environmental damage and solidifies China's leading position in the South China Sea island power sphere. However, AMTI wrote, "Unless Beijing continues to expand other islands or deploys equipment on Antelope Reef that is distinctly different from other bases, Vietnam's modifications to its Spratly Islands outposts may have a greater impact on the operational environment in the South China Sea."
"As Vietnam completes most of its island reclamation projects, the transitional phase of infrastructure construction has begun. However, the full impact of Hanoi's expansion in the South China Sea will only become apparent once these facilities are built and the Vietnamese military and law enforcement begin operating from them."
The potential risks between Vietnam and China in the South China Sea are not limited to this. Recently, China unilaterally announced a fishing ban for the annual fishing moratorium in the South China Sea. Vietnam has protested this, demanding that China respect Vietnam's sovereignty and emphasizing that it will assist fishermen in continuing to fish, which may cause further maritime disputes between the two sides. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150509
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to instantly grasp the latest news.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.