South China Sea Sees Escalation in Land Reclamation Efforts
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South China Sea Sees Escalation in Land Reclamation Efforts
- China began significant land reclamation at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands in October 2025, which by March 2026 had resulted in approximately 1,490 acres of reclaimed land.
- Vietnam has also dramatically accelerated its island-building in the Spratly Islands, creating an additional 534 acres of land over the past year, bringing its total reclaimed area to roughly 2,771 acres by May 2026.
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The South China Sea, a critical global shipping route and a region rich in natural resources, is experiencing a renewed surge in land reclamation activities by multiple claimant states. This escalation follows years of China’s extensive island-building, which notably occurred between 2014 and 2016, creating around 3,200 acres of new land by late 201