Chinese oil survey ship returns to disputed waters off Vietnam amid coronavirus pandemic

Vietnamese ships spent months last year shadowing the Haiyang Dizhi 8 as it surveyed the resource-rich waters within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone

Its return follows charges laid by the US that China is ‘exploiting the distraction’ and vulnerability caused by the pandemic

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The Haiyang Dizhi 8 at sea. Photo: Weibo

Published: 3:55pm, 14 Apr 2020Updated: 10:54pm, 14 Apr 2020

A Chinese ship embroiled in a stand-off with Vietnamese vessels last year has returned to waters near Vietnam as the United States accused China of pushing its presence in the South China Sea while other claimants are pre-occupied with the coronavirus.

Vietnamese vessels last year spent months shadowing the Chinese Haiyang Dizhi 8 survey vessel in resource-rich waters that are a potential global flashpoint as the US challenges China’s sweeping maritime claims.

On Tuesday, the ship, which is used for offshore seismic surveys, appeared again 158km off Vietnam’s coast, within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), flanked by at least one Chinese coastguard vessel, according to data from Marine Traffic, a website that tracks shipping.

At least three Vietnamese vessels were moving with the Chinese ship, according to data issued by the Marine Traffic site.

The presence of the Haiyang Dizhi 8 in Vietnam’s EEZ comes towards the scheduled end of a 15-day nationwide lockdown in Vietnam aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

It also follows the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat near islands in the disputed waters this month, an act that drew a protest from Vietnam and accusations that China had violated its sovereignty and threatened the lives of its fishermen.