China intends to proceed with its plans to develop tourism in the Paracel archipelago in the South China Sea, despite a dispute over the sovereignty of the islands with Vietnam, the South China Morning Post reported. While it remains unclear how China plans to convert the islands, now occupied solely by military facilities and "guesthouses" for temporary workers, into a "top class" tourist destination, the government has already conducted trial runs of mainland tourists. A Hainan official has stated that the government views the development of the Paracels as part of a larger strategy to convert Hainan into an international tourist destination. Vietnam and China have disputed the islands for centuries, with a conflict breaking out in 1974 following China’s seizure of the western Paracels.
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