Vietnamese and Chinese vessels engage in fresh stand-off in South China Sea: Reports

In a contested area of the South China Sea, a fresh clash occurred involving vessels from China and Vietnam when the latter attempted to extend their oil drilling activities, South China Morning Post reported citing multiple social media reports.

According to a Chinese observer, the fact that neither nation has verified the confrontations suggests that both parties are attempting to prevent the situation from worsening.

On Sunday, the South China Sea Wave social media account from China claimed in a WeChat post that over twelve vessels were engaged in the altercation. The source of the clash was reportedly an internal notification from Vietnamese authorities announcing their intentions to enlarge the drilling efforts in Block 05-1A near Vanguard Bank this month.

The South China Sea Wave account, which focuses on military analysis and research of the region, stated that the drilling expansion initiative would breach the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea was signed by China and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2002. It upholds the principles of freedom of navigation and overflight, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and advocates for self-restraint.

According to South China Sea Wave, Vietnam's announcement prompted Beijing to send the Xiang Yang Hong 10 research vessel, accompanied by two Chinese coastguard ships and at least seven fishing boats from Guangdong and Hainan provinces, to the area. In response, Vietnam dispatched five vessels to the region.

Vanguard Bank in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone

Vanguard Bank, which is under the control of Hanoi, is the furthest west reef in the resource-abundant Spratlys, referred to as the Nansha Islands in China. It is located within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. The site was the location of a previous confrontation between the two nations in 2019.

It is worth noting that the region in question falls within Beijing's "nine-dash line," which demarcates the area that China claims sovereignty over.

South China Sea Wave reported that tensions continued to escalate on Wednesday, as both sides sent additional vessels to the area in an attempt to force the other's boats to withdraw. Data from the maritime automatic identification system, which monitors ships, indicated that the vessels were following and attempting to obstruct each other while keeping a safe distance.

The most recent significant confrontation between the two countries at Vanguard Bank occurred in July 2019, when the Chinese survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 (also known as Marine Geology 8) entered the region, sparking a two-month-long standoff. At least four Chinese coastguard vessels and two Vietnamese ships were involved in the incident.

The 2019 confrontation at Vanguard Bank took place five years after a previous incident involving a Chinese oil rig's exploration activities near the Paracel Islands (known as Xisha in China). That incident sparked widespread anti-Chinese protests and violence in Vietnam.

China asserts its claims over around 80% of the entire South China Sea, which also places it in territorial disputes with several other ASEAN nations, such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.