China’s aggression against the Philippines has been making headlines. But Vietnam, which is also involved in a territorial dispute with Beijing, has been quietly ramping up its maritime infrastructure on Barque Canada Reef. The reclamation project will enable large warships to sail into the harbor.
From 2022 to 2024, reclaimed land at the reef expanded tenfold to 1.94 sq km (0.75 square miles). Hanoi is also upgrading 11 of the 29 features it controls in the archipelago.
Beijing has staked claims on the islands known as Nanshas in China. Beijing fears that if the pace of work continues, Vietnam could surpass China in island construction.
But what is more concerning is that Hanoi has dredged the channel leading to the Vietnamese port on Barque Canada Reef to deepen it enough for advanced warships, such as China’s most advanced and powerful destroyers, the Type 055 class warships.
Previously, Hanoi maintained a limited number of bases in the Spratlys, capable only of accommodating small vessels. However, with recent upgrades to its port facilities, Vietnam is poised to maintain a continuous maritime law enforcement presence, significantly strengthening its control over the entire Spratly region.
The recent upgrades to outposts have enhanced Vietnamese capacity to accommodate large vessels—from thousands to nearly ten thousand tonnes—showcasing their potential for future military ship docking.
In case of a conflict, Western powers like the US, which has a better relationship with Vietnam, can use the port at the largest reef in the Spratly Islands.
A study by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources termed the expansion dramatic. The ministry used laser measurements from NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite and optical data from the European Union’s Sentinel-2 to map underwater development with unprecedented precision. The team’s peer-reviewed paper was published in the Chinese-language Journal of Tropical Oceanography on February 13.
The study was carried out to determine the depth of the channel leading to the strategic harbor at the western tip of the Barque Canada Reef, called Bai Jiao, by China. According to the research, Vietnam had dredged a 299-meter (980-foot) wide channel, reaching an average depth of 11.37 meters. This depth can accommodate some of the world’s largest warships, like Type 055 destroyers with a 6.6-metre draught.
“These data (are) conclusive proof that Vietnam’s land-reclamation projects, coupled with the excavation of navigation channels and harbor construction, have profoundly reshaped Bai Jiao Reef’s topography, triggering drastic geomorphological alterations across the island complex,” wrote study co-author Fu Dongyang, of Guangdong Ocean University.
Satellite imagery shows that Vietnamese dredgers occupying Barque Canada Reef’s natural lagoon have been dumping huge loads of sand daily.
The Geo-Strategic Importance Of Vietnam
Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia, bordering China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west. Its long coastline stretches along the South China Sea, making it a crucial player in maritime activities and trade routes. Control over parts of the South China Sea grants Vietnam influence over these critical sea routes and access to abundant natural resources, including fisheries, oil, and natural gas.
Vietnam’s geographic location places it near several major regional powers, including China, Japan, and the Philippines. This proximity has strategic implications for regional security dynamics and alliances.
Both Vietnam and China claim sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. These islands are strategically significant and rich in natural resources, including oil and natural gas.
China’s claim over the South China Sea is represented by the Nine-Dash Line, a demarcation that covers about 90 percent of the sea. This claim is contested by Vietnam and other countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.
China has long followed the strategy of expanding existing islands and even building new ones for military purposes in the South China Sea. In 2013, China embarked on a major island-building program in the Spratly Islands, building both civilian and military infrastructure, including military-grade airstrips, radar stations, harbors, and housing for troops.
In recent years, Vietnam has adopted China’s strategy and increased its dredging and landfill work. Vietnam has started to adopt cutter suction dredgers—the method that China has used—to hasten the work. The dredgers are specialized maritime vessels equipped with a rotating cutter and designed to dredge rock, clay, silt, and sand.
The two countries have also been working on keeping communication channels open to manage maritime disputes and maintain stability. However, tensions have flared up in recent years. Incidents like the deployment of a Chinese navy hospital ship near the Paracel Islands have led to protests from Vietnam.
In 2024, Vietnam accused China of attacking 10 Vietnamese fishermen, leaving three with broken limbs.
Vietnam – Hedging Its Bets
China and Vietnam boast strong economic and political ties. In 2008, the two countries established a “comprehensive strategic partnership” to foster cooperation and strengthen trade. Their bilateral trade exceeded US$171 billion in 2023.
Despite the shared ideology of communism, Vietnam has stood firm against China on territorial disputes. Hanoi has also been cozying up to the United States, China’s biggest rival.
Hanoi and Washington resumed diplomatic relations in 1995. However, the ties entered a new phase when the two former adversaries signed a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023. This partnership covers various areas, including political and diplomatic relations, trade and economic ties, defense and security, science and technology, education and training, climate change and energy, and more.
The US and Vietnam have strong economic ties, with bilateral trade exceeding US$100 billion annually. The US is one of Vietnam’s largest trading partners, and Vietnam is a significant market for American goods and services.
The two countries have increased their defense and security cooperation, including joint military exercises, training programs, and collaboration on maritime security. This cooperation is part of the broader US strategy to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
If Vietnam finds itself against China, it will likely co-opt the US’s help to further its strategic goals.
