Over the past four years, Vietnam has constructed 21 artificial islands in the South China Sea, primarily among the Spratly Islands, in response to China’s militarized island-building efforts. These islands feature ports, military facilities, and runways—most notably Barque Canada Reef, which has a 3.2 km runway and ammunition bunkers. Vietnam’s land reclamation, totaling 8.9 square kilometers, aims to enhance its defensive and power-projection capabilities in a region critical to global trade and US naval operations.
Unlike China, which uses its islands for an aggressive military presence, Vietnam’s construction is largely defensive, tolerated by neighboring countries, and unlikely to provoke conflict, according to The Chosun Daily. The US views Vietnam’s islands as a potential counterbalance to Chinese expansion in the South China Sea. Lee Chul-min writes:
Vietnam has built a total of 21 independent artificial islands in the South China Sea over the past four years in response to China, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 3rd through its own analysis of a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and satellite imagery.
According to CSIS’s March report, Vietnam has been reclaiming land at the Spratly Islands, the Nansha Qundao in Chinese, in the South China Sea since 2021, constructing militarized artificial islands by reclaiming reefs, rocks, and coral formations. These islands are located in areas where sovereignty overlaps not only with China but also Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.
The WSJ reported that Vietnam’s artificial islands in the Spratly Islands are equipped with multiple ports, a 3.2 km runway capable of accommodating large military aircraft, ammunition storage facilities, and defensive installations with heavy weapons deployed. […]
According to CSIS’s March report, as of March, Vietnam has created artificial islands totaling 8.9 square kilometers in the South China Sea, the second-largest area after China’s 16.2 square kilometers. […]
However, it is reported that not only China but also other countries in the region generally tolerate Vietnam’s construction and militarization of artificial islands in the South China Sea. This is because Vietnam’s current naval and air capabilities are deemed insufficient to effectively defend these islands in the event of all-out war. CSIS projected, “While Vietnam is expected to utilize its new bases in a manner similar to China, it is unlikely to engage in aggressive actions against other nations.” […]
While the United States publicly criticizes China’s construction of artificial islands, it refrains from public comment on Vietnam’s artificial islands, viewing them as a ‘potential bulwark’ against China.
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