Vietnam is rapidly expanding its military bases on reefs and shoals in the South China Sea, including the building of harbours and airstrips, new satellite imagery shows.
The land reclamation work expanded to all 21 reefs, shoals and sandbanks controlled by Hanoi in the contested Spratly Islands. The archipelago falls within the Exclusive Economic Zones of six countries – Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei – all of whom have competing claims over the Spratlys as well as military outposts.
