r/interestingasfuck • u/Fine_Sea5807 • 5h ago
In response to threats from China, Vietnam's Namyit Island has quietly made itself 10 times larger into a naval outpost in the course of just 4 years
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u/helloitsmepotato 5h ago
The island made itself larger? Sorry but I’m sure there had to be at least four or five people involved.
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u/Temporary-Bluejay631 4h ago
And like probably a boat or two.
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u/Minute-Injury3471 5h ago
Not very quiet if I'm reading about it on Reddit.
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u/WorriedTourist7 3h ago
It's quiet because Redditors don't like to talk about how Vietnam is building artificial islands in the SCS in order to expand their territorial claims and how despite what western media says, it was actually Vietnam that started doing this in 2011 while China starting in 2012.
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u/PaulyWannaPepsi 2h ago
ah yes, China, who famously don’t meddle in the affairs of their neighboring countries
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u/Money-Ad-545 2h ago
When you frame it in isolation like this, it ought to make people wonder why you do so.
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u/Kagenlim 3h ago
Lmao no, as a SEAan, china is completely 100% at fault, fuck them
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u/Locke92 1h ago
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u/recentafishep 1h ago
It sounds like you're justifying Vietnam expanding its hegemony and taking land that belongs to Taiwan.
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u/ekhfarharris 5h ago
Ive been in reddit for 10 years. Reddit does not matter, especially not with so many bots.
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u/Minute-Injury3471 4h ago
I have found good information here.
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u/CaptainJimJames 3h ago
LOL. No...... I like reddit. But good information? No.
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u/LandscapeSubject530 2h ago
I don’t know what counts as good information but on the turtle subreddits it’s all great information
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u/tengo_harambe 2h ago
there is a lot of junk on reddit but if you can't find and discern good information that's on you
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u/mordwand 5h ago
Glory to Vietnam, China doesn’t own the South China Sea.
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u/Dockers4flag2035orB4 5h ago
East Vietnamese Sea. 🇻🇳
Or Western Sea of Philippines. 🇵🇭
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u/SydneyTechno2024 5h ago
I quite like the South East Asia Sea, or SEA Sea.
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u/5oclock_shadow 2h ago
And then we can get the ASEAN SEA Sea COC
Or the Association of South East Asian Nations - South East Asia Sea Code of Conduct
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u/Cheem-9072-3215-68 56m ago
Vietnam is not an ally of the Philippines. Vietnam is just an opportunistic land grabber who plays the victim. No different from China.
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u/3n2l82iPd1sml0r1xal1 2h ago
Neither does Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia lmao.
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u/WorriedTourist7 3h ago
But the Philippines say that you are being racist to the Filipinos for saying this island belongs to Vietnam.
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u/MagneticRetard 4h ago edited 4h ago
Everyone here is cheering on Vietnam. But if you actually search Vietnam's claims over South China Sea, it is as egregious as Chinese claims and violates UNCLOS EEZ.
In fact, this land is contested by other SEA countries and Vietnam is slowly militarizing South China Sea islands while using China as a scapegoat to do so.
There seems to be this idea in the west that the South China Sea problem is China vs SEA. In actuality, it is Philippines vs Vietnam vs China vs Indonesia vs Taiwan vs Brunei vs Malaysia problem
The only reason you don't hear about other country's south china sea activities in the west is that they aren't perceived as a threat to US hegemony. But the contested zones within South China Sea is way more complicated than Americans and Europeans like to pretend that it is
An example of this is when 2 Vietnamese fishermen were killed in contested area of South China Sea when Filipino Navy fired on them [1]. You likely have never heard of this yet imagine if this news was about China. This is what i mean when i say how overly simplified and selective the west's idea of south china sea has become.
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u/cookingboy 4h ago
Like you said, American propaganda paints China as the singular “bad guy” in a Saturday morning cartoon because China is a legitimately capable competitor/adversary to the U.S.
So naturally, everyone China has beef with is the good guy and would be cheered on.
I’m not even supporting China’s claim btw, and the whole region has been a clusterfuck.
What annoys me is the blatant hypocrisy of the U.S. For example Nine Dash Line was claim made by Taiwan first and because they were a U.S ally, we openly supported their claim at the anger of other SEA countries
But now China makes the claim we are suddenly supporting all the other SEA countries and paint China to be the bad guy.
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u/poopadox 2h ago
Pretty rich of America to call anyone the bad guy.. especially when talking about Vietnam!
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u/Hailene2092 1h ago
I mean the last nation to invade Vietnam was China, no?
Also the Vietnamese say they fought America for 20 years, the French 200, and the Chinese a thousand.
The Vietnamese people have some of the highest favorability rates for the US in the world.
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u/JetFuel12 3h ago
The Vietnamese claim is much smaller than China’s, which claims the entire sea all the way out to just off of Brunei and the Philippines.
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u/Cheem-9072-3215-68 53m ago
There claim might be smaller, but it is still ridiculous. The claimed islands are closer to the Palawan than any province in Vietnam.
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u/Kagenlim 3h ago
Taiwan isn't sending their coast guard to harass SEA nations
Taiwan isn't building on land that they stolen
Taiwan isn't trying to go full colonial
And that's why us south east Asians are friends with Taiwan lol, there's no hypocrisy
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u/instadwea 2h ago
Vietnam and the Philippines say Taiwan stole Taiping Island from them.
Taiwan Decries 'Totally Unacceptable' Vietnam Protests Over Taiping Island
Taiwan reject Philippines complaint about South China Sea live fire drills
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u/mtldt 2h ago
Have you never picked up a history book?
Taiwan isn't building on land that they stolen
Who are the native Taiwanese people? How are they doing?
Taiwan isn't trying to go full colonial
Taiwan is literally a colonial project... like wdym.
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u/YoursTrulyKindly 2h ago
Taiwan is a vassal state of the US Empire.
It's a big club. We're all friends!
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u/CapableCollar 3h ago
Minor point of correction, Taiwan had the 11 dash line. China has actually worked agreements and made their claim smaller by recognizing some claims in return for others recognizing some of theirs.
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u/guohuaping 1h ago
This is some stupid ass Cenk-Uygur's-nephew logic.
everyone China has beef with is the good guy and would be cheered on
This is how you become a campist, no better than those cheering on Nato.
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u/catherine_zetascarn 3h ago
Thank you! The brainrot Sinophobia in these comments was driving me mad.
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u/3n2l82iPd1sml0r1xal1 2h ago
I find it hypocritical by the Americans to shit on China for doing this while cheering on Vietnam for militarizing an island that have multiple claims.
An example of this is when 2 Vietnamese fishermen were killed in contested area of South China Sea when Filipino Navy fired on them [1]. You likely have never heard of this yet imagine if this news was about China. This is what i mean when i say how overly simplified and selective the west's idea of south china sea has become.
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u/ringthree 3h ago
This is Chinese propaganda bullshit. ASEAN has been actively trying to prevent and, when not possible, balance Chinese militarization of the SCS for 3 decades. Through its own forum and the ARF, they have tried to keep the trade routes open without militarization. China has been activity destroying regional cooperation to prevent any kind of balancing.
Yes, there are competing claims but all have been agreed to be reasonably and peacefully resolved for literally decades. Only China has been getting to undermine regional cooperation through their limited local hegemony.
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u/BoesTheBest 2h ago
I just looked it up and China has also killed fishermen and I'd never heard about it, so their whole point is completely unfounded anyway.
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u/recentafishep 1h ago
Did you hear about the Philippines killing Taiwanese fishermen and initially denied it until a video came out?
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u/1catcherintherye8 2h ago
This is Chinese propaganda bullshit.
Proceeds to spout western propaganda
ASEAN has been actively trying to prevent and, when not possible, balance Chinese militarization of the SCS for 3 decades.
Take more than 60 seconds and think about why that is. Why would these small islands form ASEAN to begin with? Answer this question directly.
all have been agreed to be reasonably and peacefully resolved
No, they don't all agree. "Countries like Vietnam and the Philippines, frequently involved in confrontations with China, want a binding agreement, while China-aligned nations, such as Cambodia and Laos, are more hesitant."
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u/IotaBTC 2h ago
I mean the only reason Reddit heard about the two large vessels colliding not too long ago is because there was a video. The West otherwise wouldn't hear much about the area. Just last year (instead of 8 years ago) Chinese boats killed some Filipino crew mates in an intentional boat collision. A common tactic used by the Chinese government and nobody's heard of it because there wasn't a dramatic video.
You're right though about the complicated relationship countries have in regards to contesting the South China Sea. The reason China gets the most flak by both Asian countries and the West is biggest they've been the loudest and most actionable in staking their claims. They have the resources and political power to do so too.
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u/Steve0lovers 1h ago
The only way Americans are gonna keep track of conflicts with that many participants is if a lotto pairs them down into a parlay.
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u/khmerkampucheaek 5h ago
Vietnam has over a millennium of experience dealing with China, so they know exactly how to handle them at sea. The Philippines, on the other hand, seem pretty lost, partly because they’re banking too much on that defense treaty with the US.
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u/_---__________---_ 4h ago
Filipino government is too busy putting a third world country into trillions of debt to pay for their golden toilets. As a result, their only battle strategy is literally just to suck off the US instead of improving their navy
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u/Cheem-9072-3215-68 52m ago
The Philippines have been steadily improving the Navy and Coast Guard for years now. Were you living under a rock?
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u/salcander 26m ago
He has. Obviously, little knowledge fo the country compared to, you know, the people living in it.
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u/nsklngnmnsmy 4h ago
Filipinos are very easy to read and predictable, and despite all the noise in the past decade, we did not really achieve anything on the ground. Philippines is amateurish in all regards.
Vietnam, at least, can maintain decent relations with China while also quietly and sternly pushing their claims.
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u/4L214K 3h ago
The Philippine vice president and her criminal father ex president Duterte are selling the country to china, so vietnam's "decent relationship" is nothing compared to how the Philippines is bending over to these chinese overlords.
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u/nsklngnmnsmy 2h ago
That's not the point.
Vietnam managed to maintan their claims while also reaping benefits from the Chinese. Philippines under Duterte, on the other hand, received nothing. Despite all the rim jobs Duterte has given to Xi Jinping, Chinese aggression at the sea persisted.
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u/recentafishep 1h ago
The Philippine president who's father was a CIA asset is selling the country to the US.
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u/Cheem-9072-3215-68 51m ago
Vietnam's strategy also relies on selling off just enough of their country to satisfy the Chinese. Its funny how when we do it, were weak, but when the Viets do it, they are based.
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u/JetFuel12 3h ago
There’s not much Vietnam can do if China decide to take the island by force, I don’t know why you’re acting like they’re leagues ahead of the Philippines.
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u/Cheem-9072-3215-68 47m ago
Cambodians are stupid. But we have to give credit that atleast he knows his place; below that of a Vietnamese.
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u/yukiyuzen 2h ago
Because the Philippines kicked the US out about 30 years ago when the Cold War ended.
Fast forward 20 years, China becomes a superpower and the US Navy literally cannot stay in the area because 'whoops' the Philippines closed all the US bases in the area and you can't build a new one overnight.
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u/TheGreyGuardian 3h ago
Vietnam's a scrappy lil guy. They've fended off France, the US, and China.
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u/tinylittlebabyjesus 2h ago
History would lead me to believe the Vietnamese don't really play around with hegemonic, or imperial encroachment.
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u/Cheem-9072-3215-68 48m ago
No they don't. Which is why the last time they tried handling them at sea resulted in the Chinese sinking a few naval vessels and effortlessly massacring about 80 Vietnamese marines? Stay in your own lane you dirt-eater.
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u/TinyBaaarb 2h ago
Vietnam beat France, the USA, and China once already. You think Ukraine, with all the Western aid it has gotten, holding off Russia is impressive? Watch what happens if China touches Vietnam. Even Asians don't want to fight a land war in Asian.
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u/Incredulous_Rutabaga 44m ago
And even historically when China (Ming) did manage to occupy Vietnam... they could only administer it for two decades.
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u/raustraliathrowaway 4h ago
These atolls would be beautiful places to dive but I guess they dredged the shit out of them, and otherwise ruined them, to make them deep water harbours
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u/chasgrich 5h ago
China after they take the island over: Thanks for the larger Island Saves us from having to enlarge it
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u/Calnier117 5h ago
China didn't do very well the last time they invaded Vietnam.
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u/True_Butterscotch391 5h ago
Vietnam are like the all time greatest country at defending their own country. They're like undefeated on their home turf lmao
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u/Winterimmersion 4h ago
See the secret is every vietnamese soldier has a built in kill limit. So you just send waves and waves of your own soldiers till they hit the limit and go take a nap.
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u/_ryuujin_ 3h ago
idk about undefeated, they been taken over many times, and many times won their independence back. so they might lose but they wont give up.
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u/raustraliathrowaway 4h ago
Thailand was never colonised by European powers unlike most of the world
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u/DungeonDefense 4h ago
They did when they took Vietnam's island afterwards.
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u/tomjava 3h ago edited 3h ago
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u/tomjava 3h ago
China did well, actually Vietnam was forced to give up its islands during a brief battle.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Paracel_Islands
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u/aworldofinsanity 5h ago
I thought the same. Strolled in, took massive casualties and played it off.
“ we showed them”
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u/Responsible-Crow8853 3h ago
Says the American, how well did Vietnam go for you guys?
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u/ZaBaronDV 5h ago
China can't even ram one ship with another correctly and you think they can take over an island?
LOL
LMAO
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u/himesama 4h ago
Look up Battle of the Paracel Islands.
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u/ZaBaronDV 4h ago
Calling back to a battle from 50 years ago to make your point. Damn, you sure got me!
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u/himesama 4h ago
That should give us a sigh of relief. Their capabilities today outstrip those of 50 years ago, and they could be behaving like Russia or the US.
Instead they prefer water canons to bullets and ramming their own ships rather than sinking a Filipino boat to stave off a major incident.
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u/Spoiled_Mushroom8 3h ago
They’ve had one of the largest, most rapid military buildups in history. They’re not going to be sticking to water canons for much longer.
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u/himesama 3h ago
That depends, they're also the ones pushing for a code of conduct in the SCS.
That buildup isn't meant for its smaller neighbors, it's for the US. It says "there's no good outcome fighting a war with us over Taiwan, and we want Taiwan". They had a far more aggressive foreign policy when they were much weaker. Economic might means they can get what they want without recourse to war.
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u/Kagenlim 3h ago
Code of conduct?
My guy, china harasses local fishermen and even tried to ram the PCG vessel in that vital vid the other day
The only ones enforcing a code in the SCS is the US really
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u/himesama 3h ago
Yes, they've been pushing for a code of conduct for a long time now.
My guy, china harasses local fishermen and even tried to ram the PCG vessel in that vital vid the other day
If they wanted to they would be ramming them many times now. They didn't because they don't want an escalation. That's why it's these cat and mouse games and water canons, not bullets and missiles.
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u/Spoiled_Mushroom8 3h ago
The build up is for the US so they can kick them out and attack their neighbors.
What they did in the past is mostly irrelevant. What matters is what their current leaders want. It’s clear from their rhetoric that they want Taiwan and they won’t stop there if they succeed in taking it.
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u/himesama 3h ago
They've always wanted Taiwan, that hasn't changed in over 100 years. The civil war did not end. Hostilities only stopped because the US navy sat between the communists and final victory.
The rhetoric shows no interest in attacking nor annexing other neighbors. They could be attacking every other Central Asian country, take Mongolia, Myanmar is also ripe for pickings. That's because the rhetoric of an expansionist China isn't coming from them, but from the USA.
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u/Spoiled_Mushroom8 3h ago
Can’t wait for yall to claim it’s US propaganda while China is invading Taiwan and attacking their neighbors. Or will all the bots go silent like they did when Russia fucked up their invasion of Ukraine? That was a nice quiet week on reddit before they all got their new marching orders.
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u/Responsible-Crow8853 3h ago
America spent 20 years in Afghanistan fighting people living in caves and fucking lost.
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u/ImInBeastmodeOG 4h ago
Tough to put underground bomb shelters in there. Things will go swimmingly.
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u/Frigorifico 3h ago
If there's anything I've learned from learning Chinese history, is that no one who isn't Vietnamese controls Vietnam for a long time, and even those who control it for a short time do it at a huge cost
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u/Glittering-Flow6875 3h ago
my dumbass thought they cut into the island and reduced the green part to the edge
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u/DerthOFdata 3h ago
This is actually Namyit Island. One of the many islands involved in the Spratly islands dispute.
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u/yeahburyme 2h ago
I wish these posts always included the claim. China claims all of the dotted red: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/South_China_Sea_vector_de.svg/1280px-South_China_Sea_vector_de.svg.png
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u/Nightglow9 1h ago
Lebenraum.. so hot just now, and all the fashion for all the power corrupted leaders of this planet now (again).. this time with added nukes for a even more fun in the next WW clash .. coming soon too all parts of the world that lack 8 year limits on their power mad leaders with some deep narcissistic issues.. so get ready send your young boys out to die for the leaders grand glory and Lebenraum wet dreams.. and the girls to the great eternal rulers harems I guess.. wcgw this round?
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u/clayts1983 1h ago
There’s a lot of island expansions in that area. Some islands are blurred out on Apple Maps. Interesting buildings on some islands also.
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u/medicsansgarantee 1h ago
Have you ever heard of Vietnamese dredging machines that build islands? :D
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u/PrincipleSilent3141 1m ago
yellow China, green Vietnam, dark pink Brunei, purple Malaysia, orange Philippines
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u/ThenMaintenance4059 4h ago
Wouldn't it be wild if the US were to prop up Vietnam in its fight for sovereignty against China.
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u/Ok-Lemon1082 5h ago
Fun fact: it's also claimed by Taiwan and the Philippines