Vietnam ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh flags concerns over Chinese land reclamation in South China Sea

The envoy felt that these developments are not only threatening maritime security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation and commerce, but also increasing tensions.

The envoy felt that these developments are not only threatening maritime security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation and commerce, but also increasing tensions.
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NEW DELHI: Vietnam has warned that a dangerous situation is emerging in the South China Sea (SCS) region where large-scale land reclamation and construction of the artificial islands in the recent years has threatened legitimate rights of the countries in that area as well as those from outside.

“The concern is also about the pace and scope to the militarization of the East Sea, which could create a new armed race in the region and increase the risk of miscalculation among parties involved,” Vietnam’s Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh said in his remarks at a conference on India and Asia-Pacific here last Saturday.

According to the Ambassador the East Sea or SCS with over 3.7 million square kilometer surface area not only provides the surrounding countries with oil and gas, seafood and other natural resources, but also serves as the most critical shipping routes between Pacific and Indian Ocean. That’s why, the East Sea has naturally become important to countries within and outside the region, including major powers.

Over the past 20 months, more than 2,900 acres of land has been reclaimed by China in the Spratly Islands. This amount accounts for 95 percent of all land reclaimed by others in the Spratly Islands over the past 40 years. These reclamations are carried out largely within Exclusive Economic Zones and Continental Shelf of Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, especially in the Mischief Reef which is approximately 135 km from the West of Philippines, emphasized Ambassador Thanh.

Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/vietnam-ambassador-ton-sinh-thanh-flags-concerns-over-chinese-land-reclamation-in-south-china-sea/articleshow/50262192.cms