“Vietnam has dramatically accelerated its effort to expand islands and reclaim land in the contested South China Sea since the start of the year to challenge rising Chinese assertiveness, according to satellite imagery and interviews with Vietnamese officials, security analysts and diplomats.

While Vietnam has been enlarging its presence across a remote collection of rocks, reefs and islets called the Spratlys since 2021, the country is on pace this year to create more than 1,000 acres of new land there, more than in any year prior.”

These actions are intended to create the physical infrastructure to support a future naval war with China and assert sovereignty over the maritime traffic in this important region of the world. I still hope and believe such a conflict is avoidable since war is so painful for all parties but I increasingly feel we are headed for it this decade.

“Vietnam has dramatically accelerated its effort to expand islands and reclaim land in the contested South China Sea since the start of the year to challenge rising Chinese assertiveness, according to satellite imagery and interviews with Vietnamese officials, security analysts and diplomats.

While Vietnam has been enlarging its presence across a remote collection of rocks, reefs and islets called the Spratlys since 2021, the country is on pace this year to create more than 1,000 acres of new land there, more than in any year prior.”

These actions are intended to create the physical infrastructure to support a future naval war with China and assert sovereignty over the maritime traffic in this important region of the world. I still hope and believe such a conflict is avoidable since war is so painful for all parties but I increasingly feel we are headed for it this decade.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2024/vietnam-south-china-sea-islands-growth/?itid=hp-top-table-main_p001_f006

Writer, podcaster, and commentator on foreign affairs and politics. Runs /dropglobalnews

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The 9 dash line is still weird imo. Seems to be an arbitrary claim on most of the south china sea