In June 2012, the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)illegally invited bids for nine oil blocks off the coast of centralVietnam. China’s aims and strategies have not changed then as it wantsto control the East Sea and then share the Pacific Ocean with the US,the English language news website VietNamNet Bridge said on June 5.

Accordingto the news website, some experts have said that China’s deployment ofits oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’s waters is a response to USPresident Barack Obama’s visit to four Asian countries from April 21-29and an action to satisfy its thirst for energy.

In fact, theability to deploy an oil rig had been anticipated since 1992 when Chinasigned an illegal cooperation agreement with Crestone (USA) on thewaters covering 125,000 km2.

This is the area of Tu Chinh(Vanguard) Bank in the continental shelf of Vietnam which China claimedas its Wanan Tan. This capability became clear when the oil rig wascompleted in 2011 and conducted the first drilling in May 2012.

TheEast Sea with its strategic location - connecting two oceans, withabundant oil and gas resources, natural hydrate and aquatic resources –has become the " hot spot” in the geopolitical map.
The numberof international oil tankers passing through the East Sea accounts formore than half of the world, three times more than the number of shipspassing the Suez Canal, and five times more than the Panama Canal.

Chinais the world’s second-largest market for oil and gas, and oil is mainlytransported across the Pacific through the critical shipping lanes inthe East Sea. China’s maritime security strategy will only succeed if ithas the East Sea as its backyard (core benefits) to avoid directcompetition with the US and its allies - Japan and the Republic of Korea- in the East China Sea.

This strategy is contrary to China’s "peaceful rise" statement.

Tosoften that contradiction, China has put out a policy combining theirrational “nine-dash line” and the doctrine of “sovereignty belongs toChina, setting aside disputes and pursuing joint development".

Themaritime activities of China in recent years are part of a strategy ofavoiding confrontation with America, but taking tough actions againstselective neighbours, which are provocative enough to achieve China’sshort-term goals but still not cross the red line of war.

Maintainingthe U-shaped or nine-dash line as the basis for “setting aside disputesand pursuing joint development" is one aim. China’s most modernfacilities are tested in the East Sea, from the Liaoning carrier to theHaiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig and nuclear-energy fueled submarines.

According to the news website, the next targets after the oil rig maybe the Vanguard Bank, the nine oil blocks along the central coast ofVietnam that the CNOOC offered invitations for illegal bids, Bai Co Rong(Reed Bank), Bai Co May (Second Thomas Shoal), Tang Mau (James Shoal)or anyplace within the U-shaped line. But the priority will be given tocoastal areas of other countries where the commercial exploitation ofoil and gas has been confirmed.

The deployment of the oil rigimmediately after US President Obama's trip to Asia is said to beChina's harsh reaction to the US, but preparation to deploy the oil rigand escort vessels could not take place in several days. The deploymenthad been decided and is part of the long-term roadmap for acquiring theEast Sea.

This was a geopolitical decision and not merely aneconomic decision when China set the 1 billion USD oil rig in the waterswhere the economic potential is unclear.

Anchoring the oil rigis also done to intimidate countries in the region to not follow thePhilippines’ decision to bring disputes to the International Tribunalfor the Law of the Sea.-VNA