Vietnam is aggressively reclaiming islands and reefs in the South China Sea, attempting to militarize and fortify them.
"The Philippine Star" reported that Vietnam's reclamation activities in the Spratly Islands may soon surpass those of China.
A U.S. think tank released a report on Friday stating that Vietnam has significantly expanded its land reclamation efforts in the disputed South China Sea, particularly in areas where it claims sovereignty, with the scale potentially matching or even exceeding that of China.
Vietnam has been aggressively expanding its land reclamation on Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea. A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) stated that recent satellite images show that since the beginning of this year, Vietnam has expanded its land reclamation to eight reefs that were not involved in the 2021 round of reclamation, including several Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea. The CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative report said that the images showed that Vietnam has carried out dredging and land reclamation work on reefs and low-tide elevations it has occupied in the South China Sea. This work means that all 21 reefs and low-tide elevations under Vietnam's control in the Spratly Islands have now been expanded.
Since October 2021, Vietnam has conducted large-scale land reclamation projects on some of the illegally occupied islands and reefs in the Spratly Islands (such as Hong Ma Island, Dunqian Sandbar, and Bisheng Reef). As of June 2025, about 8.5 square kilometers of new land have been filled.
1. Militarization Construction
Reclaimed areas are used to build military facilities, including airport runways of 2,000-3,000 meters, deep-water ports, and missile positions. For example, Vietnam has built deep-water ports capable of accommodating warships on key locations such as Bai Jiao and Hong You Dao, and upgraded them into military fortresses.
2. Continuous Expansion Strategy
In August 2025, Vietnam continued to expand its island-building to eight previously unaffected reefs, with the scale possibly surpassing that of China. This action is viewed by U.S. think tanks as Vietnam's attempt to expand its sovereignty through island-building and to covet fishing and oil and gas resources.
Since 1975, Vietnam has illegally occupied 29 of China's islands and reefs in the Spratly Islands, including some reefs seized through events such as the Battle of Cuarteron Reef. Its recent actions are seen as a coordination with the U.S.-China rivalry, but it has not publicly aligned with the United States.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841291173021760/
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