Update | Defiant China moves second oil rig closer to Vietnam, near three other drilling platforms
But Vietnam’s government is not expected to react strongly as it lies far north to the site of recent clashes
China says it is moving a second oil rig closer to Vietnam’s coast, showing its determination to press its territorial claims and continue searching for resources in disputed waters despite a tense confrontation with Vietnam over another oil rig to the south.
The 600-metre-long rig is being towed southeast of its current position south of Hainan Island and will be in its new location closer to Vietnam by today, the Maritime Safety Administration said on its website. It asked vessels in the area to give it a wide berth.
Vietnam’s government is not expected to react strongly to the placement of the second rig because it lies far to the north of the politically sensitive waters surrounding the Paracel Islands, where ships from the two countries have been ramming each other for more than 40 days near the first oil rig.
China already has three oil rigs in the South China Sea which are reportedly being moved to new locations. Their presence highlights how Beijing has been stepping up its exploration for oil and gas in the tense region.
According to coordinates posted on the website of China’s Maritime Safety Administration, the Nanhai number 2 and 5 rigs will be in southern China and the Pratas islands, which are occupied by Taiwan. The Nanhai 4 rig is close to the Chinese coast.