(VOVworld) – On Thursday the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union launched a program to encourage young people to contribute to the defense of national maritime sovereignty and increase the bond between people in the mainland and those on Truong Sa archipelago.

In 2016 the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union will carry out maintenance on a system to convert salt water to fresh water on East Truong Sa island and install a similar system on An Bang island. Tran Vu Thanh, President of the Hanoi Young Intellectuals’ Club, said: “The system is a great help because the dry season in Truong Sa lasts 5 months. A soldier on Truong Sa uses 5 liters of water per day compared to the normal usage of 20 liters. Once the new system is put into operation, it will provide adequate water for daily use on the island.”