China Slams Vietnam’s Construction on Disputed South China Sea Reef Amid Escalating Tensions

China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday slammed Vietnam’s construction work on the Barque Canada Reef, a small islet in the contested Spratly Islands that Vietnam has occupied since the 1980s.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Guo Jiakun. Image via the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Fresh sparks are flying again over the South China Sea. China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday slammed Vietnam’s construction work on the Barque Canada Reef, a small islet in the contested Spratly Islands that Vietnam has occupied since the 1980s.

The reef, claimed by several nations, is now at the center of a dispute that mirrors the broader power play unfolding in one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors.

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by Edwin Shri Bimo

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