Vietnam Follows Beijing With South China Sea Upgrades of Its Own
- West London Reef dry dock could repair Vietnamese patrol boats
- Asean, China have agreed to re-start talks on Code of Conduct
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As China continues to transform disputed territory in the South China Sea into features capable of sustaining air and naval bases, Vietnam is also upgrading areas it occupies.
Images taken by DigitalGlobe satellites in September show new facilities including a possible dry dock on West London Reef in the Spratly Island chain, around 680 kilometers (422 miles) southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, that could allow boats to stop for maintenance and patrol for longer periods.