South China Sea Strategies for other nations (Not China)

Zetageist

Junior Member
163770002-southwest-cay-is-a-small-island-controlled-gettyimages.jpg

Vietnamese presence in South China Sea
SOUTHWEST CAY, SPRATLY ISLANDS - FEBRUARY 27, 2013: Southwest Cay (also known as Pugad Island), is a small island controlled by Vietnam, is part of the Spratly Island chain in the hotly contested South China Sea. Southwest Cay was originally occupied by the Philippines—the country that occupies the majority of the Spratly Islands—but was taken by South Vietnam in the 1970s. Vietnam has since built a fortified inlet, an army garrison and a number of support buildings on the island, as seen on this image from February 27, 2013. (Photo DigitalGlobe via Getty Images)
Credit: DigitalGlobe / contributor
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Of the non-PRC nations bordering the SCS (Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, etc), Vietnam probably has the best capability to do reclamation.

However, they pale in comparison to what the PRC is doing.

So while Vietnam can pick and choose a couple of islands to work on...and take some time at doing it, the PRC is doing massive reclamation on over a half doze islands at one time.

None of these individual nations have a hope of matching or keeping pace with the PRC.

They have to much more carefully pick and choose what they can do...and yes, Vietnam in particular is trying to do so. Philippines less so, IMHO.
 

climax

New Member
Of the non-PRC nations bordering the SCS (Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, etc), Vietnam probably has the best capability to do reclamation.

However, they pale in comparison to what the PRC is doing.

So while Vietnam can pick and choose a couple of islands to work on...and take some time at doing it, the PRC is doing massive reclamation on over a half doze islands at one time.

None of these individual nations have a hope of matching or keeping pace with the PRC.

They have to much more carefully pick and choose what they can do...and yes, Vietnam in particular is trying to do so. Philippines less so, IMHO.

I don't sure about when did PRC plan was began, but for Vietnam, it's simple thing that VNese must do since they took control from Republic of Vietnam in 1975.

As you all know, Spratly was most small Islands or sand field in vast sea, so VN started reclamation from long time ago, expand Islands, build harbour, to improve condition life of inhabitant (just like how did China do at Paracel, after they take it).

After DOC, all parties agreed that they will not take more reef, Islands, don't build new outpost, don't make new tension.
I will not saying PRC's reclamation and actions violate anything, but their plan and work made DOC become crap ... their work went beyond far from anything made by other parties, just like their claim in dash-lines map.

There's report said China bring material and equipments on Eldad Reef (which under VNese control), many time, but everytime, VN sent men to prevent their plan, surely, VN don't want to has "scarborough shoal" case before their nose.

It'll be damn tension if PRC declare new ADIZ on SCS.

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spratly-islands-from-above-by-le-hung-ninh-thuan-766641-3.jpg
 
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Zetageist

Junior Member
Interesting what the Philippines government is going to react ?
So apparently Vietnam and the Philippine started reclamation before China?

Interesting story how Vietnamese took the possession of the Pugad island from the Philippines

Actually it was Malaysia started massive reclamation in the first place at Swallow Reef back in 1989 by turning it into a diving resort and adding airstrip. Swallow Reef has an original land area of approximately 6.2 hectares (15 acres), but with reclaimed land now covers 35 hectares (86 acres), measuring over 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) long and 200 m (656 ft) wide.

The story of how in 1975 South Vietnamese took possession of the Pugad Island (Southwest Cay) from the Philippines is quite interesting and it involved prostitutes. Back in 1975, that was almost at the end of Vietnam War, and for South Vietnamese stealing an island from its Vietnam War ally was sort of outrageous. Few months later, North Vietnamese won over South Vietnam and dozens of the South Vietnamese garrison on Southwest Cay swam all the way to Philippines controlled Northeast Cay (Parola) just to avoid being captured by the North Vietnamese forces.

In 1974, a year before, South Vietnamese also took possession of Sand Cay from its Vietnam War ally, Taiwan. Since Sand Cay was only 11.5km away from Taiwan controlled Itu Aba Island so it was originally garrisoned by Taiwanese forces. When a hurricane hit the islands, the garrison on Sand Cay retreated to Itu Aba. By the time weather cleared up, South Vietnam flag was flying over Sand Cay.
 

shen

Senior Member
One thing that I've been wondering about, China keeps on insisting that territorial disputes should be solved bilaterally, but how is that applicable to the Spartly Islands dispute? Certainly no claimants parties such as ASEAN countries without claim to Spartly and the USA shouldn't be part of the negotiation. But with the overlapping claims in Spartly Islands group, there is no way the dispute can be solved bilaterally.
 

joshuatree

Captain
After DOC, all parties agreed that they will not take more reef, Islands, don't build new outpost, don't make new tension.
I will not saying PRC's reclamation and actions violate anything, but their plan and work made DOC become crap ... their work went beyond far from anything made by other parties, just like their claim in dash-lines map.

The current revelation is that after the 2002 DOC, Vietnam has been continuing to reclaim land on reefs and building new outposts. And this was before China's recent and ongoing land reclamation. So DOC becoming poo isn't because of the Chinese. That was the accusation but the recent validation by western sources throws that charge out the window (the Chinese had been saying that for a while now but of course why would the opposition believe them). Yes, Chinese decided to go big with scale of reclamation but they would be responding to other reclamation as opposed to instigating it.
 
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