Vietnam has warned China not to drill for oil after Beijing moved a giant rig into disputed waters in the South China Sea, which may lead to a repeat of a 2014 maritime standoff between the communist neighbors.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said in a statement Tuesday that Vietnam has raised concerns with China after it moved its Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig on Jan. 16 to an area where the two countries' continental shelves overlap and have not been demarcated, according to CNN.
"Vietnam requests China not to conduct drilling activities and to withdraw the HYSY 981 oil rig from this area," he said. "Vietnam reserves all its legal rights and interests in the area in accordance with international law."
However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei defended China's action, insisting Wednesday that the oil rig is operating in "undisputed waters under China's jurisdiction," according to AFP.
"As far as I know, the operation of the HYSY 981 oil rig is being carried out in completely undisputed waters under China's jurisdiction," he said during a regular news briefing in Beijing. "We hope the Vietnamese side will see this operation calmly and make joint efforts with China to properly handle maritime issues."
This isn't the first time that the oil rig has led to a standoff between the two communist countries, reported the Associated Press. In May 2014, relations between the two countries were at their lowest point in years after Beijing was forced to evacuate thousands of Chinese nationals from Vietnam when exploratory drilling in contested waters near the Paracel Islands sparked deadly anti-China riots.
News of the oil rig comes at a critical time politically for Vietnam's ruling Communist Party as more than 1,500 delegates gather in Hanoi for a congress that will pick new leaders and chart the country's economic and foreign policy for the next five years.
