By: Jeremy Sun

Vietnam’s quick building of islands in the disputed South China Sea has worried experts in Southeast Asian foreign policy. They fear this could heighten tensions with China, as both countries claim large parts of the sea and its valuable oil reserves.

According to the SubjectToClimate article “Vietnam’s Island-Building in Disputed Waters Strokes Tensions With China,” over the last three years, Vietnam has recovered over 2,000 acres of land from the ocean, with nearly 700 acres reclaimed since November 2023, as detailed in a recent report from the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. This recent surge in reclaiming land is almost equivalent to what Vietnam achieved in the two years prior.

Since 2013, China has constructed seven artificial islands in the largely unpopulated Spratly Islands as part of its efforts to bolster its territorial claims in the region. Three of these islands have been equipped with airfields, aircraft hangars, missiles, and other military equipment.

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam all contend that these islands belong to them, while Malaysia and the Philippines contend for ownership of a portion of them.

Song Phan, a specialist based in Sydney who focuses on the region, shared his perspective with Eurasia Review. He mentioned that many of his colleagues believe Vietnam shouldn’t stay passive while its larger neighbor acts assertively. Phan added that, in his opinion, all sides should work to maintain the current situation in the sea, suggesting a cautious approach to prevent escalating tensions.

The SubjectToClimate article also claims, “While China flatly opposes Vietnam’s island-building efforts, at least one other competing country has been more nuanced in its response. The Philippine Navy says it’s ‘monitoring’ the situation, but coast guard spokesman Jay Tarriela told reporters that ‘Vietnam focuses on minding their own affairs.’”

Jay also said that unlike China, Vietnam doesn’t harass their fishermen or illegally send coast guard ships to the waters near their controlled maritime areas.