Two construction projects in the central city of Da Nang have been suspended, another has been refused to be licensed and one more has been required to lower its height since they – all Chinese-invested – are located on sites deemed sensitive to national defense, local authorities reported.

>> Vietnam province pulls plug on defense-sensitive Chinese-invested resort project The investor of the four projects is Silver Shores Investment and Development Co., Ltd., a 100 percent Chinese-owned business, located in Da Nang’s Ngu Hanh Son District. The above decisions were made based on the proposal by the Command of Military Zone 5 and other concerned agencies. These moves came a week after authorities of the central province of Thua Thien-Hue decided to stop implementing another Chinese-developed resort project -- the World Shine-Hue international resort on Cua Khem Cape, where Hai Van Mountain meets the East Sea -- for the same reason. The investor of this project is World Shine Hong Kong Co. Ltd. One of the three suspended projects in Da Nang cultivates clean vegetables on 11.6 hectares of land in Cam Toai Tay Hamlet, Hoa Phong Commune, Hoa Vang District. The cultivation commenced in May this year but the project’s investor recently stopped it, said Lam Sy Tien, chairman of the commune People’s Committee. “After the Command of Military Zone 5 voiced its opinion that the project affects security and national defense, the investors suspended it,” Tien said. The second suspended project involves the construction of a wharf complex for cruise boats and air-based recreational activities on the Han River, at the former Thuan Phuoc fishing port. This project’s planning has been approved by the city People’s Committee, but the Command of Military Zone 5 has proposed that authorities not grant a license for recreational activities in the air, including gliders, balloons and others. Meanwhile, a project that would offer tours of coral reefs in submarines with glass bottoms at the Son Tra peninsula was refused a license. At a meeting of the Da Nang city Party Committee on November 28, Huynh Van Hung, director of the city Broadcast and Television Station, requested that the city government not license this project. In a document sent to the city People’s Committee later, the city Department of Construction confirmed that the investor would no longer engage in this type of tourist service. Besides the above three projects, Silver Shores has been required to lower the height of a dormitory that is expected to be built in Hoa Hai Ward in Ngu Hanh Son District for its employees. The height of the facility is requested to be reduced from the designed 64.3 meters to 43.6 meters to meet a requirement related to air defense. The request was made in a document issued by the city People’s Committee to Silver Shores. The site of the future dormitory was fenced off on Monday in preparation for construction, authorities reported.