By: Eva Huang

For the past couple of years, Vietnam has been building many man-made islands in the South China Sea, which is rumored to have a lot of underground oil. Because the territory is [potentially] oil-rich, it has been disputed by many Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia, and Taiwan, but also China and Vietnam.

In the past 3 years, Vietnam has reclaimed over 2,000 acres of land from the sea. Since last November, just 8 months ago, they have claimed 700 acres, around the same amount they reclaimed from each full year before. Vietnam’s increasingly fast pace in building these islands has some Southeast Asian Foreign Policy experts worried. The Philippines’ Navy is worried that the developments may escalate the tension to a more dangerous conflict.

China, on the other hand, started building artificial islands in 2013. In fact, they have already built seven of them. Their islands are located in the Spratly Islands, which are mostly inhabited. Three of the seven islands are stocked with missiles, airfields, aircrafts, and other military equipment and supplies. According to Subject to Climate, the islands were mainly made to prove that the South China Sea belongs to them.

China has been opposing the artificial island building efforts of Vietnam, but the Philippines believes that Vietnam is in the right. The Philippines say that they have been watching the situation. According to Philippines Navy’s spokesman, Jay Terriela, “Vietnam focuses on minding their own affairs. (Unlike China) they do not engage in harassing our fishermen or illegally deploying coast guard vessels … in the waters surrounding our occupied maritime features.”

Image Credit by Linh Tran