AT SEA: Vietnam's coast guard says Chinese ships surrounded their vessels preventing them from getting close to an oil rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea

Record ID: 344544

  • Title: AT SEA: Vietnam's coast guard says Chinese ships surrounded their vessels preventing them from getting close to an oil rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea
  • Date: 14th May 2014
  • Summary: AT SEA, SOUTH CHINA SEA, 210 KM OFF SHORE OF VIETNAM (MAY 14, 2014) (REUTERS) CHINA'S 981 OIL RIG A VIETNAM COAST GUARD SHIP SURROUNDED BY THRE CHINESE SHIPS THREE VARIOUS OF CHINESE COAST GUARD SHIP CHINESE COAST GUARD SHIP BLOCKING OFF A VIETNAM COAST GUARD SHIP MORE OF CHINESE COAST GUARD SHIPS/ OIL RIG A CHINESE AIRPLANE FLYING OVER VIETNAMESE COAST GUARD SHIPS VARIOUS OF VIETNAM COAST GUARD OFFICER MONITORING CHINA COAST GUARD SHIPS MORE OF CHINA COAST GUARD SHIP CREW MEMBER LOOKING AT RADAR SCREEN RADAR SCREEN VARIOUS OF OFFICERS LOOKING AT SEA CHART SEA CHART SHOWING THE DISPUTED AREA (SOUNDBITE) (Vietnamese) VIETNAMESE COAST GUARD TACTICAL ASSISTANCE, COLONEL PHAN DUY CUONG SAYING: "Today we got as close as 12 km to the oil rig, and Chinese forces reacted with many ships and followed us closely. At one point, 5 Chinese ships surrounded one of ours to stop us from getting close to the oil rig that is operating illegally in our territories" CHINESE FLAG ON A COAST GUARD SHIP MORE OF CHINESE COAST GUARD SHIP
  • Embargoed: 29th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: At Sea
  • Country: At Sea
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA2CJQN410GESB9PCKLK2FDORCH
  • Story Text: Vietnamese ships were followed by Chinese vessels as it neared China's oil rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea on Wednesday (May 14), Vietnam's Coast Guard said.
    Vietnam has condemned as illegal the operation of a Chinese deepwater drilling rig in what Vietnam says is its territorial water in the South China Sea and has told China's state-run oil company to remove it. China has said the rig was operating completely within its waters.
    Tensions in the South China Sea have risen since the move with Beijing and Hanoi each accusing the other of ramming its ships near the disputed Paracel Islands.
    Vietnamese Coast Guard Tactical Assistance, Colonel Phan Duy Cuong said on Wednesday as they drew closer to the Chinese oil rig their vessels were followed by Chinese ships.

    "Today we got as close as 12 km to the oil rig, and Chinese force react with many ships and followed us closely. At one point, 5 Chinese ships surrounded one of ours to stop us from getting close to the oil rig that is operating illegally in our territories," he said.
    A Reuters reporter said at least 80 Chinese vessels, including navy ships were in the area. The number of Vietnamese ships in the area where not disclosed.
    Last week, a senior foreign ministry official in Beijing demanded that Vietnam withdraw its ships after its southern neighbour asserted that Chinese vessels used water cannon and rammed eight of its vessels at the weekend near the rig. Hanoi said two vessels were badly damaged and six people were wounded in the worst setback to ties between the two Communist nations in years.
    China said the drilling operations were being carried out in its territory and it had acted with the "utmost restraint" in using water cannons in response to rammings it blamed on Vietnam.
    China claims almost the entire South China Sea, an area rich in energy deposits and an important passageway traversed each year by $5 trillion worth of ship-borne goods.
    Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the area.
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