Hanoi [Vietnam], May 6 : Vietnam has expressed its objections to China and the Philippines regarding their conflicting activities at Sandy Cay in the disputed South China Sea, demonstrating the nation's growing assertiveness in regional maritime disputes, the Radio Free Asia (RFA) has reported
Last week, China and the Philippines conducted separate flag-raising events at Sandy Cay, an important location for Manila to oversee Chinese activities within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. Hanoi, which also claims the sandbank as part of its territory, announced on Saturday that it had issued diplomatic notes to China and the Philippines protesting their recent actions at the contested site.
Vietnam foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said, "Vietnam urges the concerned parties to acknowledge Vietnam's sovereignty, adhere to international law, and work towards maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea."
China's coast guard had landed on Sandy Cay as part of an operation to assert Beijing's claim over the Spratly Islands, Chinese state media outlet CCTV reported on April 26. The following day, the Philippines dispatched its own coast guards and police personnel to the sandbars but found no one present, with both countries raising their flags over the disputed reef, as highlighted in the RFA report.
Vietnam has utilised a combination of balancing, bandwagoning, and neutrality in addressing the conflicts between China and the Philippines within the region. In April, coast guards from China and Vietnam conducted their first joint patrol of 2025 in the Gulf of Tonkin, representing the 29th joint patrol since 2006, as cited by RFA.
During the operation, the vessels performed joint maritime search and rescue drills and observed fishing activities along designated maritime boundaries, which China described as "a model for maritime law enforcement collaboration in the South China Sea."
In August 2024, the coast guards of the Philippines and Vietnam carried out their inaugural joint firefighting and search-and-rescue drills off the coast of Manila, emphasising the humanitarian dimensions of maritime operations.
At that time, Vietnamese Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang engaged in discussions with Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in Manila, where they signed letters of intent aimed at enhancing cooperation in disaster response and military medicine.
Both defence leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthening military cooperation through "ongoing interactions and engagements at all levels." They agreed to settle disputes peacefully within the framework of international law.
Additionally, Vietnam has taken measures to reinforce its legal stance regarding its maritime claims. In February 2025, the Southeast Asian nation announced a new baseline defining its territorial waters in the Gulf of Tonkin, as cited by RFA. In response to this announcement, China initiated live-fire military drills in the Gulf of Tonkin, indicating Beijing's opposition to Hanoi's claims of sovereignty.
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