Collins Reef

Collins Reef, also known as Johnson North Reef/Johnson Reef North; Vietnamese: Đá Cô Lin; Roxas Reef (Filipino: Bahura ng Roxas); Mandarin Chinese: 鬼喊礁; pinyin: Guǐhǎn Jiāo, is a Vietnamese occupied and controlled reef and the westernmost feature of Union Banks Atoll near the centre of Dangerous Ground in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.^[1] It is also claimed by China (PRC), Taiwan (ROC), and the Philippines.

Collins Reef

Disputed reef
Collins Reef
Collins Reef
Other names	Johnson North Reef Đá Cô Lin (Vietnamese) Roxas Reef (Philippine English) Bahura ng Roxas (Filipino) 鬼喊礁 Guǐhǎn Jiāo (Chinese)
Geography
Location	South China Sea
Coordinates	09°46′26″N 114°15′20″E
Archipelago	Spratly Islands
Area	5 ha (12 acres)
Administration
Vietnam
District	Trường Sa District
Commune	Sinh Tồn Commune
Claimed by
China
Philippines
Taiwan
Vietnam

Vietnamese structure on Collins Reef

Map of the Union Banks

Cô Lin Reef is located 8.1 nautical miles (15 km) southwest of Sinh Tồn Island, approximately 3.9 nautical miles (7.2 km) northwest of Gạc Ma Reef, and 7 nautical miles (13 km) west of Len Đao Reef. It is essentially a triangular coral reef with slightly curved sides, each side measuring approximately 1 nautical mile in length. This reef is submerged underwater during high tide and only a few rocks emerge during low tide.^[2] The area of the Cô Lin Reef coral reef is approximately 2.05 km2.^[3]

Administrative maps^[4] all use the proper noun “Cô Lin” while the common noun used to describe the entity is “reef.” Geographically, Cô Lin Reef is not an island but a coral reef.

The area features the Cô Lin Island architectural complex, comprising a military outpost connected by a bridge to a multi-purpose cultural center (constructed and completed in 2017, inaugurated in 2018)^[5] located 65 meters away. The geographical coordinates inscribed on the sovereignty marker of Cô Lin Island are 9°46′25″N 114°15′19″E.

In June 2025, Vietnam began land reclamation and expansion activities at Cô Lin Island. By 2025, the approximate area of the island will be 5 hectares.

Location

Collins Reef lies at 9°46′26″N 114°15′20″E (9.7738889°N 114.2555556°E / 9.7738889; 114.2555556), to the northwest of Johnson South Reef, at the southwestern corner of the Union Banks.^[6]

Chigua Jiao (Johnson South Reef)

Đá Cô Lin
(Collins Reef,
Johnson North Reef)

Loveless Reef

Gent Reef

Sinh Tồn (Sin Cowe Island)

Edmund Reef

McKennan Reef

Dōngmén Jiāo (Hughes Reef)

Hallet Reef

Holiday Reef

Empire Reef

Whitson Reef

Ross Reef

Sinh Tồn Đông (Grierson Reef/ Sin Cowe East Island)

Bamford Reef

Tetley Reef

unknown Reef

Jones Reef

Higgens Reef

Đá Len Đao (Landsdowne Reef)