Vietnam Demands ‘Immediate Cessation’ to Construction Activities in Paracel Islands

Vietnam’s government has voiced its disapproval of "illegal" reclamation and construction activities taking place on the Paracel Islands, following recent reports of Chinese construction efforts in the area. On August 14, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) disclosed that China had finished land reclamation at Antelope Reef within the Paracels, and was reportedly working on additional infrastructure on the island.

AMTI noted the emergence of "likely airstrip" components at this new artificial island. Later, on August 25, Reuters stated that additional installations had been observed on Yagong Reef, a smaller islet near Antelope Reef, based on satellite photographs provided by Vantor, a commercial satellite imagery company. Although the exact purpose of these structures remains unclear, several of them bear similarities to military radar/early warning facilities seen elsewhere in the South China Sea, suggesting their potential military role.

Vietnam asserts sovereignty over the Paracel Islands, which it calls Hoang Sa, but have been under Chinese control since 1974, when China took control following a confrontation with the then-weakened southern Republic of Vietnam. During a regular press briefing on Friday, Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pham Thu Hang reiterated Vietnam's claims to the archipelago, citing historical evidence and legal justification in line with international law.

She emphasized that all "foreign activities" in the Paracels, including the two sites in question, are "completely illegal and null and void," and that Vietnam has lodged a strong diplomatic protest with China regarding the issue. Vietnam demands that these activities cease immediately and refrain from repeating them. While Vietnam lacks direct influence in the Paracels, in recent years, it has engaged in substantial land reclamation efforts at features in the Spratly Islands, located to the south of the Paracels and also contested by the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.

AMTI reported in May that Vietnam had reclaimed 2,771 acres of land in the Spratlys, and was commencing the construction of extensive infrastructure, including harbors, munitions storage depots, and communications structures. Additionally, AMTI previously reported that Vietnam is constructing an airstrip on Barque Canada Reef, its largest feature in the Spratlys.

This measured Vietnamese response to the reports of Chinese activities in the Paracel Islands is not unexpected and likely does not signal any significant tensions between Hanoi and Beijing. China has demonstrated a surprising tolerance towards Vietnam's construction activities in the Spratlys compared to its response to the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, which has responded forcefully to what it perceives as minor infringements by the Philippines.

It's possible that China's construction activities at Antelope Reef and Yagong Island are a means of countering Vietnam's South China Sea expansion by expanding its own presence in the region. AMTI highlighted that Beijing's "rapid expansion of Antelope Reef has solidified Beijing's lead in island-building" following Vietnam's rapid reclamation efforts in the Spratlys, which had put Vietnam on course to surpass China's island-building achievements. The long-term outcome of these developments remains uncertain.