Tensions simmer in the South China Sea
China has been using its Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig in disputed waters. (CNOOC)
The military escalation between China and Vietnam is the biggest potential flashpoint in the South China Sea right now. Tensions between the two neighbours have ratcheted up in recent years, with oil and gas exploration a key factor.
The deployment of China’s Haiyang Shiyou 981 jack-up rig into waters that Vietnam claimed as its own sparked a diplomatic incident in 2014. Violent anti-Chinese protests erupted in Vietnam and clashes between coastguard vessels occurred at sea. Tensions have remained high as China has continued to send the rig into disputed waters between the two countries.