Vietnam expanding landfill work in South China Sea, report says

Although China and Vietnam have worked to improve relations in recent years, their conflicting claims in the South China Sea remain a major source of contention.

The think tank said Vietnam had reclaimed around 2,360 acres of land, around half the amount China has claimed, but that is an almost tenfold increase compared with the total Hanoi held three years ago.

China conducted massive land reclamation efforts in parts of the South China Sea it claims between 2013 and 2015.

After announcing a halt to reclamation work in 2015, it has carried on building infrastructure, including military-grade airstrips and harbours in the islands.

Its claims to the vital waterway overlap with several other countries, including Vietnam, but also the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

For more than 10 years, China has been building infrastructure, including military-grade airstrips and harbours, in the parts of the South China Sea it claims.

Its claims to the vital waterway overlap with several other countries, including Vietnam, but also the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

The report said China has more holdings in the region than any other country, but Vietnam is now in second place.

It added that Barque Canada Reef, which is controlled by Hanoi, could now host a runway that was big enough for military transport planes or bombers.

Grandview Institution, a Beijing-based think tank, said last month that Vietnam is likely to expand its building activity in the region and warned of the risk of “complicating and escalating” the situation.

Recent months have seen a series of clashes involving Philippine and Chinese vessels in other parts of the waterway, including collisions and China’s use of water cannons.