The Paracel Islands are disputed islands and reefs
some 16° north of the Equator, and about 375 km east of Da Nang, Vietnam.
You will only get to visit the Paracel Islands if you
join the Chinese navy.
Although much nearer to Vietnam than China, the Paracel Islands would probably not change hands without a
fight.
North Vietnamese land forces might have held off the Chinese in the
past, but a battle in the South China Sea would be costly.
The Chinese have port facilities on Paracel's Woody Island and the
base at Duncan Island is being expanded. There is also a paved runway on Woody Island.
Something says that the Chinese want to stay put on the Paracel
Islands for the oil reserves beneath the ocean.
The Paracel Islands were part of French Indochina, until the Japanese
took hold of them during the Second World War.
Although the Chinese military occupy the Paracel Islands at present, Vietnam and and Taiwan both have claims to
the territory.
See also Spratly Islands.
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