Vietnam agency seeks to build airport on disputed Spratly islands: media

File picture of a Vietjet plane landing at the Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh CM City. — Photo courtesy of Vietjet

HANOI (Bloomberg): Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority is proposing the construction of an airport on the disputed Spratly Islands, Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

The aviation agency seeks to include a Spratlys airport in the transport ministry’s 2021-2030 master plan, Thanh Nien reported, citing the proposal sent to the ministry. The aviation agency’s May 10 proposal also includes airports on Ly Son Island in Quang Ngai province and Binh Thuan province’s Phu Quy Island, the newspaper said.

The airports would create economic growth for the country’s geographically important islands and assert Vietnam’s sovereignty over the regions, the agency said, according to Thanh Nien.

The Spratly Islands are part of a disputed region in the South China Sea.

China claims more than 80% of the sea and backs up its claim with a 1947 map that shows vague dashes -- the so-called nine-dash line --- looping down to a point about 1,800km south of its Hainan island. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan claim parts of the same maritime area, and have sparred with China over which claims are valid.

The authority’s report came after officials in the central coastal province of Quang Ngai proposed building an airport on Ly Son, which is close to the Paracel and Spratly islands, Thanh Nien said.