Vietnam has the 33rd longest coastline of 3,260 km (2,030 mi).[3] It includes much of the western area of the South China Sea and parts of the southern area bordering Malaysia and Brunei's EEZs. The total land area, including inland bodies of water, of Vietnam is 331,212 km2 (127,882 sq mi).[n 1] Vietnam has dozens of islands. Phú Quốc is the largest island with 574 square kilometres (222 sq mi).[4]
Vietnam's disputes are mainly with the People's Republic of China. Vietnam rejects China's nine-dash line which extends much further than China's 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) from its shores. The nine-dash line cuts straight through Vietnam's Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea and would reduce Vietnam's EEZ by 3/4th. This line also cuts the EEZ of the Philippines and Malaysia in half. Brunei would lose 90% of its EEZ. According to former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, "China's nine-dash line territorial claim over the entire South China Sea is against international laws, particularly the United Nations Convention of the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS)".[5] Vietnam also rejected the Chinese claim, citing that it is baseless and against the UNCLOS.[6]
In the spring of 2014, China and Vietnam clashed over China's Haiyang Shiyou oil rig in Vietnam's EEZ. The incident left seventeen Vietnamese injured and damaged both China's and Vietnam's ships.[7]
Vietnam controls 29 features of the Spratly Islands. However, since 2013 China has been constructing artificial islands on reefs and military bases which changed the balance of power in favour of the PRC in the South China Sea.[12]
^Nguyen, Hong Thao (2012). "Vietnam's Position on the Sovereignty over the Paracels & the Spratlys: Its Maritime Claim". Journal of East Asia International Law. 1.
^Samuels, Marwyn (2013). Contest For the South China Sea. London: Routledge. pp. 55–65.
^Yoshihara, Toshi (2016). "The 1974 Paracels Sea Battle: A Campaign Appraisal". Naval War College Review. 69 (2): 41–65.