Recently, readers may have noticed that there has been some media coverage of the maritime dispute between China and Vietnam on the former’s placement of an oil rig in the South China Sea.
The Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, claimed that China was acting dangerously by infringing the territorial waters of Vietnam and violating international law. He even invited other countries to join Vietnam in condemning China for such alleged acts.
As the Chinese Ambassador to Malta, allow me to put the record straight on this incident.
On May 2, a Chinese oil company deployed an oil rig, HYSY 981, in the South China Sea to start a regular oil and gas drilling operation. The exact location of the rig is 17 nautical miles from the Zhongjian Island of the Xisha Islands, an integral part of Chinese territorial waters under China’s effective jurisdiction and nearly 170 nautical miles from the coast of Vietnam.
There has never been any dispute over the sovereignty of the Xisha Islands. In fact, the Chinese company that placed the oil rig has been engaged in oil and gas activities in the related waters for years, including two-dimensional and three-dimensional seismic operations.
The drilling operation carried out this time is simply a continuation of the routine oil andgas activities.
Shortly after the oil rig’s placement, however, the Vietnamese authorities attempted to disrupt the drilling operation by sending vessels to deliberately and forcefully ram Chinese Coast Guard vessels that were on the site for escort and security missions.
After the incident, the Chinese Foreign Ministry immediately sent a note to the Vietnamese Embassy in China, asking the latter to notify its capital of a prior navigation notice issued by China’s maritime authorities and urging Vietnam to follow international practices by taking note of and respecting this notice to maintain proper order for maritime production activities and navigation safety.
Nevertheless, the number of Vietnamese vessels only increased and collisions with Chinese vessels on site became more fierce.
At one point, as many as 40 Vietnamese vessels of various types, including many armed ones, were on the scene and 412 willful collisions with Chinese vessels were recorded.
In addition to these provocative and dangerous acts, Vietnam also dispatched frogmen and laid large obstacles, including fishing nets and floating objects, in the waters to sabotage the operation.
What’s more, Vietnam has been making unfounded and irresponsible comments to other countries, slandering and attacking China on this matter.
It is crystal clear who is the perpetrator and who the real victim is.
It is crystal clear who is the perpetrator and who the real victim is
In sharp contrast with what the Vietnamese Prime Minister said, it is Vietnam that is grossly violating China’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction, undermining the normal order of production and operation at sea, threatening the safety of the Chinese rigs, ships, facilities and personnel, and negatively affecting peace and stability in the region as well as safety of navigation in those waters.
China has, through diplomatic channels, repeatedly urged Vietnam to respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and immediately cease the illegaldisruption in whatever form and withdraw Vietnamese ships from the operation site.
Since Vietnam has refused to do so, China has no choice but to step up safety and security on site and take the necessary measures in reaction to the ramming and harassing activities of Vietnam.
Meanwhile, China has kept contact with Vietnam since the incident took place with a view to properly addressing the current situation. We urge Vietnam to calm down and stop all moves violating China’s sovereignty and undermining proper order at sea.
Cai Jinbiao is the Chinese Ambassador to Malta.