45 years since China forcibly occupied Vietnam's Hoang Sa: Plot to monopolize the East Sea

Since then, this country has continuously and brazenly carried out a series of measures to strengthen its illegal civilian and military presence in Hoang Sa, especially in recent years, despite Vietnam's fierce opposition and a wave of condemnation from the international community.

In addition to the goal of imposing illegal sovereignty claims in Hoang Sa, these actions also aim to create a springboard for continued expansion throughout the East Sea.

From illegal development…

In Hoang Sa, since 2005, Beijing has illegally built sovereignty markers at several locations on the archipelago. In 2007, the Chinese State Council arbitrarily approved the establishment of the so-called “Sansha City” under Hainan Province to unilaterally impose management over Vietnam’s Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

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Determined for Hoang Sa

Since late May 2010, China has sent the survey ship M/V Western Spirit and many escort ships to conduct seismic surveys in the Tri Ton island area and in oil and gas blocks 141, 142 and 143 on Vietnam's continental shelf, about 90 - 116 nautical miles from Ly Son island, Quang Ngai province. This country has also leveled and expanded Tri Ton island to build illegal structures.

At the same time, military activities were intensified from February 2011 when the South Sea Fleet conducted defensive exercises in the Paracel Islands, according to China Radio International (CRI). Also in this year, the State Oceanic Administration of China published the “2011 China Ocean Development Report”, in which it unilaterally declared China’s sovereignty over the East Sea and the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa of Vietnam, printed a number of maps with the “cow tongue line” covering up to 80% of the East Sea area, and outlined plans to deploy self-exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in the Truong Sa archipelago and open a tourist route to the Hoang Sa archipelago.

Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig and many Chinese ships violated Hoang Sa waters in 2014. Photo: Doc Lap

Beijing’s arrogance took another big step forward in 2012 when Hainan provincial authorities announced plans to accelerate infrastructure construction for the so-called “Sansha City” on Woody Island. In December 2012, China announced the construction of maritime surveillance stations and began a project to expand two roads on Woody Island to connect it to the wharf, civilian and military units illegally stationed there. At the same time, a Chinese frigate squadron conducted live-fire training in the waters of the Paracel Islands and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) brazenly invited bids for 19 oil and gas blocks in the northern part of the East Sea, including block 65/24, about 1 nautical mile from Cay Island in the Paracels.

Also in 2012, the Coconut Princess cruise ship of Hainan Haixia Shipping Joint Stock Company began a trial cruise from Sanya (Hainan) to Dabei Island in the Paracels. On September 29, 2012, Chinese officials outlined a development plan for four infrastructure projects on Woody Island. The projects include the repair and construction of seven roads with a total length of 5 km, the construction of a desalination facility to filter seawater with a capacity of 1,000 m3 per day, and a water supply and drainage system, along with a wharf and transportation network on Woody Island.

Recently, in July 2018, Chinese media cited a document from the Hainan Ocean and Fisheries Administration blatantly calling on “any organization or individual” to register to participate in “tourism development and construction” of uninhabited islands in areas that China illegally occupies in the East Sea. This plan initially mainly targets the Paracel Islands, where there are still hundreds of uninhabited entities. Clearly, China is taking the next step to demonstrate its so-called “sovereignty” over illegally occupied locations through civilian means.

Responding to Thanh Nien, Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thanh Ca, former Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Science and Technology (General Department of Seas and Islands of Vietnam), commented: “China knows clearly that only consolidating the military of the rocky islands can never legitimize their illegal sovereignty claims under international law. Therefore, they are seeking to civilianize their activities, including activities that allow individuals to exploit the above-mentioned rocky islands.”

... To illegal militarization

In addition to its reckless civil development plans, China continued to conduct military exercises and repeatedly sent coast guard ships and helicopters to illegally patrol the East Sea before moving the Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig to Hoang Sa. The incident began on May 1, 2014 and lasted for two and a half months, causing the situation in the region to become extremely tense. China even mobilized more than 120 ships to recklessly ram Vietnamese ships to assert its sovereignty and call on Beijing to stop its illegal actions infringing upon its territorial waters.

During this time, China hastily carried out its illegal construction plan in Hoang Sa, including lighthouses on Da Bac Island, Da Hai Sam Island, Con Cat Nam Island, Duy Mong Island and Hon Thap Island. By October, the 2 km long military runway on Phu Lam Island was completed.

Phu Lam Island in the Hoang Sa archipelago was occupied by China and illegally turned into an administrative center. Photo: AFP

The runway and infrastructure continued to be renovated and by February 2016, satellite images from the ImageSat (ISI) center showed that China had illegally deployed two surface-to-air missile systems with eight launchers and a radar on Phu Lam Island. Fox News quoted a US official as saying that this was the HQ-9 air defense missile system, similar to Russia's S-300 with a range of up to 201 km, which could pose a threat to any military or civilian aircraft flying nearby. In addition, Beijing also deployed nearly 10 fighter jets including J-11 fighters and JH-7 fighter bombers, along with Harbin BZK-005 long-range reconnaissance drones to the island.

According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, USA), by 2017, China had upgraded a series of illegal military facilities on 8 islands in the Paracels, including Cay, Phu Lam, Lin Con, Tri Ton, Quang Anh, Quang Hoa, Hoang Sa and Duy Mong. Satellite images show that 3 out of 8 islands (Cay, Phu Lam and Quang Hoa) now have ports that can receive a large number of civilian and naval ships. Five islands have helipads, Quang Hoa island has a helicopter base and Phu Lam island has runways, hangars and HQ-9 surface-to-air missile systems.

In 2018, China continued to conduct many military exercises in the Paracels, including H-6K bomber exercises and live-fire exercises in May. The PLA Daily also brazenly reported that some of its coast guard and navy ships conducted joint patrols in the waters around the Paracels for the first time.

Recently in November, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) shared satellite images showing that China continued its illegal actions in the East Sea by illegally building structures suspected of serving military purposes, hidden under radar covers on Bong Bay Reef in Hoang Sa.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/45-nam-trung-quoc-cuong-chiem-hoang-sa-cua-viet-nam-muu-do-doc-chiem-bien-dong-185820718.htm