China is unhappy with Vietnam because Vietnam is building on a tiny island in the South China Sea. This island is called Barque Canada Reef by China, but other countries have different names for it. The Philippines calls it Mascardo Reef.
This place is special because many countries—like China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei—all say they own it. These countries argue a lot about this part of the sea because it has many fish, oil, and gas that could be very valuable.
What’s Happening?
Vietnam has controlled the reef since the 1980s, but now, China is angry because Vietnam is making the island bigger!
🔹 Vietnam has expanded the reef by 10 times since 2022!
🔹 They built a 299-meter-wide channel, big enough for warships.
🔹 China says this is illegal and that the reef belongs to them.
Why Does This Matter?
China says it owns almost the entire South China Sea, even though other countries disagree. A big court in The Hague ruled in 2016 that China’s claims are not legal, but China ignores this decision.
Meanwhile, China and Vietnam still trade a lot of goods, and just last year, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, visited Vietnam to strengthen their friendship.
What Happens Next?
China says it wants peace, but at the same time, it wants countries to agree on rules about who controls what in the South China Sea. The ASEAN group (a club of Southeast Asian countries) is trying to make these rules official.
For now, the fight over the sea continues, and many people are watching to see what will happen next!
