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New Satellite Images Show Vietnam Rapidly Expanding Spratly Outposts, Nearing China’s Reclamation Scale

Beijing has formally objected to the construction.

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Landsdowne Reef
Collins Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, one of several reefs where Vietnam has been rapidly building up land this year, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.
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Overview

  • Fresh CSIS/AMTI analysis shows Vietnam dredging and adding landfill at eight previously untouched Spratly features while enlarging several others, marking a pronounced acceleration since 2021.
  • Vietnam has carried out reclamation at all 21 features it occupies and has already built roughly 70 percent of China’s earlier 2,300 acres, with analysts saying it is on track to surpass that total.
  • Time-lapse imagery highlights a new runway under construction at Barque Canada Reef, alongside new harbors at multiple sites and defensive berms identified at several Vietnamese-held outposts.
  • Experts warn the work could further militarize the archipelago and inflict long-term damage on reefs and marine ecosystems.
  • A separate time-lapse shows China’s Mischief Reef transformed into a large military base with a runway, missile systems and advanced radar, a buildup that has heightened tensions with the Philippines and challenged regional diplomacy.