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Giant China crane ship turns up near Vietnamese coast

  • Beijing stretches Hanoi’s maritime capacity after weeks of tension in South China Sea

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The giant Chinese crane vessel Lin Jiang was tracked from southern China to its position on Tuesday night off the coast of Vietnam. Image: Marine Traffic

A Chinese giant crane vessel has been tracked to 90km (56 miles) from the Vietnamese coastline – in an area claimed by Hanoi as its exclusive economic zone – fuelling the risk of further maritime confrontation between the two countries.

The Lan Jing, believed to be one of the largest crane ships in the world, left the coastal city of Zhanjiang in southern China’s Guangdong province earlier last month. It arrived offshore of Quang Ngai, a province in Vietnam’s south central coast late on Tuesday night, according to Marine Traffic, a website which tracks vessel movements.

Regional observers said the presence of the ship so close to the Vietnamese coastline indicated Beijing may be upping the ante in its weeks-long stand-off with Vietnam in the disputed South China Sea, by stretching Hanoi’s maritime capacity to its limit.

Vessels from both countries have been facing off since a Chinese survey ship, the Haiyang Dizhi 8, arrived near the Vietnamese-controlled Vanguard Reef in the Spratly Islands in July. At the climax of the stand-off, up to 20 armed vessels from both sides were at the scene.

The presence of the Haiyang Dizhi 8 has been seen as an attempt by Beijing to hamper Vietnam’s oil and gas exploration which is being carried out in partnership with Russian petroleum company Rosneft.

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