Voice of America
Thirty-five years ago this week, Vietnamese fighters aboard ships HQ 604, HQ 605 and HQ 505 and stationed on three reefs in the Spratly Island archipelago faced off against the Chinese navy defending Beijing's claim to the South China Sea outcroppings.
Sixty-four Vietnamese died in the skirmishes over Gac Ma, Co Lin and Len Dao, also known as Johnson South Reef, Collins Reef, and Lansdowne Reef. Two unarmed Vietnamese cargo ships were sunk in the incident that left 11 wounded and landed nine in a Chinese prison for three years.
The 1988 battle remains a politically charged issue for the Vietnamese government, which must navigate a 2,000-year history with its largest trading partner and sees the event as sensitive enough to keep dissidents from official ceremonies.
댓글