China and Vietnam have reduced tensions in the South China Sea by prioritizing pragmatism over confrontation, with both sides avoiding land reclamation efforts.

Despite land reclamation efforts in the fiercely contested South China Sea, an unusual silence has fallen between Beijing and Hanoi over their rival claims. Observers said this suggested both sides were prioritising pragmatism to keep tensions in check. In March, months into reports suggesting continued Chinese dredging activities at Antelope Reef in the Paracel Islands, Vietnam broke its silence by lodging a protest with Beijing over what it called “illegal and invalid” foreign...