Law of the Sea - South China Sea

Vietnam accused China of violating its sovereignty and EEZ, alleging that three Chinese patrol ships rushed a Vietnamese oil exploration vessel and damaged its cables while it was conducting survey and drilling operations in waters of the South China Sea disputed by both countries. A Chinese FM spokeswoman replied that Vietnam's offshore exploration of oil and gas in China's jurisdictional areas "undermined China's interests and jurisdictional rights in the South China Sea and violated the consensus both countries have reached on the issue".