China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) announced that a second oil rig will set up off Vietnam’s coast.
On Thursday, China said that it would move a second oil rig into the waters off Vietnam’s coast, where the two countries have been engaged in a protracted dispute since early May. China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) posted a notice on its website stating that this new rig will be installed between June 18 and 20. Its final location will be at 17°14.1′ North latitude and 109°31′ East longitude off the coast of Vietnam.
China’s HYSY 981 oil rig sparked a major bilateral dispute over the sovereignty of the South China Sea waters off Vietnam’s coast. While Vietnam claims that the waters belong to it as part of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), China claims that it holds sovereignty over the territory based on its claim to the Paracel (Xisha) Islands. The Paracel Islands are also disputed between China and Vietnam.
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