Vietnam Expands Island-Building in the South China Sea

Satellite images of some of the Vietnamese-built islands in the South China Sea that have expanded considerably in recent months and years, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. Images via AMTI.

Vietnam’s development of 21 Vietnamese-claimed rocks and low-tide elevations in the South China Sea has expanded considerably since 2021 to the point where it will match and possibly even exceed Chinese reclamation activity in the region.

The findings in a new report by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Security and International Studies in Washington, D.C., reveal major advancements over the past four years, from when these reefs had only small military pillboxes to now include more robust infrastructure, including munitions storage containers.

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by Eric Olander

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