Why Vietnam is Rapidly Reclaiming Land in South China Sea | WSJ Coordinates

Vietnam is rapidly creating artificial land in the disputed South China Sea, breaking its own record for land reclamation in the shadows of Chinese aggression. Hanoi is quietly conducting dredging operations to expand and build military infrastructure on-top of atolls in the Spratly group of islands, where China has also created land. WSJ explains why Hanoi is fortifying while keeping close diplomatic ties with both the U.S. and Beijing. Chapters: 0:00 Vietnam’s activity in the South China Sea 0:23 Location of islands and strategic importance 1:40 Overlapping claims 2:33 China island build 3:44 Military prep 5:24 China’s response News Explainers Some days the high-speed news cycle can bring more questions than answers. WSJ’s news explainers break down the day's biggest stories into bite-size pieces to help you make sense of the news. #Vietnam #China #WSJ