Vietnam’s diplomatic row with China over islands in the South China Sea has extended to postage stamps.

On Tuesday, Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications’ website demanded China halt the circulation of stamps which depict Chinese-built lighthouses on the disputed Spratly Islands.

The statement called the stamps a serious violation of Vietnam’s sovereignty.

China Post has also previous distributed stamps featuring the islands back in 2004 and 2013.

Meanwhile, China has expressed anger over recent satellite images that show Vietnam’s dredging operations in the southern end of the Spratly Islands.

The work has increased the land mass of the Ladd Reef, and now stations a small number of Vietnamese soldiers as well as a lighthouse.

Both Vietnam and China have extended their claim on the islands by building on reclaimed land.

But while Vietnam has added about 0.4 square kilometres of land, China has added three times as much.

Sovereignty over parts of the Spratly Islands are contested by multiple countries including the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan.

– TiVi Tuan-san