Chinese Seismic Vessel Seen Moving Near Malaysia Amid Rising South China Sea Tensions

By Rozanna Latiff and James Pearson
Thursday, April 16, 2020

A Chinese government survey ship embroiled in a standoff with Vietnamese vessels moved south near Malaysia, shipping data showed Thursday, amid accusations that China is using the pandemic to assert its presence in the South China Sea.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8 was spotted off Vietnam this week, returning after being closely tracked last year in the resource-rich waters, a potential global flashpoint as the United States challenges China's sweeping maritime claims.

The ship appeared to have started a survey in waters 352 kilometers (218 miles) off the coasts of Brunei and Malaysia on Thursday, according to data from Marine Traffic, a website that tracks shipping.

That appeared to be just north of Malaysia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), near waters claimed by both Vietnam and Malaysia.

A Malaysian coastguard vessel, the KM Pekan, is shadowing the Chinese ship, a Malaysian maritime source said, declining to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8 had been flanked by as many as seven Chinese coastguard vessels that have since moved away, two sources familiar with the matter said. The Malaysian navy was monitoring the situation, one of the sources said.

The foreign ministries of Malaysia, Brunei and China did not respond to requests for comment.

On Wednesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman had said the ship was conducting normal activities and accused U.S. officials of using the South China Sea issue to smear Beijing.

The presence of the Haiyang Dizhi 8 in the South China Sea comes amid movement curbs imposed by Southeast Asian countries to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The U.S. State Department had urged Beijing to focus on combating the pandemic and "stop exploiting the distraction or vulnerability of other states to expand its unlawful claims in the South China Sea."

China's U-shaped "nine-dash line" on its maps marks a vast expanse of the waters that it claims, including large expanses in the south that are also claimed by Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei.

Earlier this year, the Washington think tank Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) said China has maintained a near-constant presence in Luconia Shoals, off the coast of Malaysia’s Sarawak state on Borneo.

Last year, at least one China Coast Guard vessel spent weeks in waters close to an oil rig in a Vietnamese oil block, operated by Russia's Rosneft, while the Haiyang Dizhi 8 conducted suspected oil exploration surveys in Vietnam's EEZ. 

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur and James Pearson in Hanoi; Additional reporting by Joseph Sipalan and A. Ananthalakshmi in Kuala Lumpur, Ain Bandial in Bandar Seri Begawan, and Judy Hua in Beijing; Editing by Gerry Doyle)

Categories: Offshore Geoscience Industry News Asia China Seismic Malaysia Vietnam Vessels

Related Stories

Yinson Production Nets DNV Approval for New FPSO Hull Design

Brownfield Output Decline Accelerates, says IEA

PV Drilling Takes Ownership of Noble Corporation’s Stacked Jack-Up Rig

DOF Secures Moorings Hook-Up Job in Asia Pacific

Seatrium Signs FLNG Vessel Upgrade Deal for Golar LNG

Woodside Finds South Korean Partners to Advance LNG Value Chain

Centrica and Thailand’s PTT Ink Long-Term LNG Supply Deal

Yinson Production, “K” LINE Target Europe's CCS with FSIU and LCO2 Solutions

Fugro Expands Geotechnical Testing Capabilities in Indonesia

Keyfield Ventures into Indonesia’s Oil and Gas Market with New Partner

Current News

MDL Secures Cable Laying Job in Asia Pacific

Hibiscus Petroleum Starts Drilling at Teal West Field off UK

Yinson Production Nets DNV Approval for New FPSO Hull Design

Hanwha Ocean's Tidal Action Drillship Starts Maiden Job with Petrobras

Petronas to Leverage AI to Expedite Oil and Gas Exploration Activities

Brownfield Output Decline Accelerates, says IEA

PV Drilling Takes Ownership of Noble Corporation’s Stacked Jack-Up Rig

Hanwha Ocean Enlists ABB for Singapore’s First Floating LNG Terminal

Aquaterra Energy Nets Subsea Analysis Contracts with INPEX off Indonesia

POSH Set to Tow Nguya FLNG from China to Eni’s Congo Field

Subscribe for AOG Digital E‑News

AOG Digital E-News is the subsea industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email three times per week

https://accounts.newwavemedia.com