Posted on June 15, 2026
By Ana Alice
Expansion on disputed reefs renews attention on maritime construction, strategic infrastructure, and environmental impacts in the South China Sea, in an area marked by overlapping territorial claims and growing military presence.
Vietnam expanded by 534 acres, equivalent to about 216 hectares, the area of artificial lands built in the Spratly archipelago, in the South China Sea, over the last year.
The information is included in a report released on Friday (08) by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, linked to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington.
With the new stage of dredging and land reclamation, Hanoi now totals approximately 2,771 acres of artificial land in the disputed region, about 11.2 km².
The expansion occurs in an area marked by overlapping territorial claims.
China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei are among the countries claiming islands, reefs, or maritime zones in the South China Sea.
The region concentrates shipping routes, fishing areas, natural resources, and the presence of military and maritime patrol forces, factors that help explain the diplomatic and territorial dispute.
Vietnamese Expansion in the Spratly Islands
According to the report, Vietnam continued construction of artificial islands after completing, in the spring of 2025 in the northern hemisphere, land reclamation operations at Barque Canada Reef.
The formation has been described by AMTI as the largest Vietnamese base in the Spratly archipelago.
After this stage, Hanoi began smaller expansions in other formations starting in the second half of 2025.
