Johnson South Reef skirmish

Johnson South Reef Skirmish
Part of the Third Indochina War, Sino-Vietnamese conflicts 1979–91 and the Spratly Islands dispute

Map of the Union Banks, where the skirmish occurred
Date14 March 1988
Location9°43′N 114°17′E / 9.717°N 114.283°E / 9.717; 114.283
Result Chinese victory
Territorial
changes
  • China establishes control over Johnson South Reef
  • Vietnam retains control over Collins Reef and Lansdowne Reef.
Belligerents
 China  Vietnam
Commanders and leaders
Chen Weiwen
  • Trần Đức Thông 
  • Lê Lệnh Sơn
  • Vũ Phi Trụ 
  • Vũ Huy Lê
Units involved
  • Nanchong (502) frigate
  • Xiangtan (556) frigate
  • Yingtan (531) frigate
  • HQ-505 tank landing ship
  • HQ-604 transport
  • HQ-605 transport
Casualties and losses
Per China:
  • 1 wounded
Per Vietnam:
  • 6 killed
    18 wounded
    3 landing craft damaged
  • 64 killed
  • 11 wounded
  • 9 captured
  • 2 transporters sunk
  • 1 tank landing ship destroyed

The Johnson South Reef skirmish took place on 14 March 1988 between military forces of the People's Republic of China and Vietnam, on the Johnson South Reef in the Union Banks region of the Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea.