Vietnam carries major expansion in South China Sea, says report
Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIC), claimed that Vietnam has conducted major expansion in the South China Sea.
The CSIS reported that Vietnam has conducted this expansion by dredging and landfill work at most of its outposts in South China, Reuters reported.
CSIS’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said that these efforts include expanded landfill work at four features and new dredging at five others.
CSIS report said, “The scale of the landfill work, while still falling far short of the more than 3,200 acres of land created by China from 2013 to 2016, is significantly larger than previous efforts from Vietnam and represents a major move toward reinforcing its position in the Spratlys.”
The work in the Spratlys Islands has created approximately 420 acres (170 hectares) of new land.
CSIS’s AMTI added that Vietnam’s outposts at Namyit Island, Pearson Reef and Sand Cay were under major expansions with a dredged port cable which can host much larger vessels than the ones existing.
As per the CSIS report, Naymit Island and Pearson Reef at 117 acres (47 hectares) and 119 hectares are now larger than Sprayly Island’s 97 acres which had been Vietnam’s largest outpost once.
The report said, “But Vietnam’s dredging and landfill activities in 2022 are substantial and signal an intent to significantly fortify its occupied features in the Spratlys.”
It added, “(W)hat infrastructure the expanded outposts will host remains to be seen. Whether and to what degree China and other claimants react will bear watching.”
(With inputs from agencies)
