Chinese ship conducts survey off Vietnam but Hanoi's state media stays silent
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.
A Chinese survey ship has been repeatedly circling within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea since mid-June, raising concerns of a potential maritime standoff.
The vessel, named Bei Dao 996 , was first tracked by SeaLight, which uses commercially available technology to monitor and expose so-called 'gray zone' activities — meaning coercive activities at sea that stop short of triggering a military response. China is often accused of adopting such tactics to assert its sweeping claims over the disputed waters in the South and East China Seas.
On his X account, Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, revealed that the ship came close to Vietnam's coastline. In response, Vietnam's fishery surveillance vessel Kiem Ngu 471 closely shadowed the Chinese ship. The two vessels came as close as 80 meters apart, according to Powell, who warned that the encounter carries a 'risk of prolonged escalation' between the two countries.
According to calculations by researcher Phan Van Song, area surveyed so far is nearly 2,000 square kilometers (770 square miles) — about 1,100 square kilometers (425 square miles) of which lies within Vietnam's EEZ, with the remainder falling within the country's extended continental shelf.
An EEZ extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from the coast. It is where a country has sole rights to explore resources but must allow free passage to shipping.
This particular stretch of water of Vietnam is considered sensitive as it lies near Cam Ranh, the nation's most important naval base and home to its submarine fleet. The survey ship is suspected of conducting dual-purpose activities – scientific research and military intelligence, according to SeaLight.
The Vietnamese government has yet to respond to China's actions, and state-run media have not reported on the incident.
Article 248 of theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulates that when conducting marine scientific research in the exclusive economic zone or on the continental shelf of a coastal state, the researching party is obligated to provide the coastal state with full information about the project no later than six months prior to the intended start date of the research.
It appears unlikely that China would notify Vietnam before sending a survey ship. Beijing claims about 80 percent of the South China Sea as its own – an area roughly demarcated by the so-called nine-dash line which overlaps with waters claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. It also overlaps with waters inside the EEZ of Indonesia, although that country does not consider itself a South China Sea claimant.
Speaking to RFA, Phan Van Song, the contributor to the South China Sea Research Foundation, said 'no matter what actions Vietnam takes, China will certainly continue its blatant and illegal survey activities.' The foundation was established by Vietnamese experts who focus on UNCLOS and the South China Sea.
In recent years, China has repeatedly sent survey ships into the waters of other countries in the region. According to SeaLight, which was set up by volunteers from Stanford University, these vessels are largely state-owned and typically operate under the guise of civilian or scientific missions, but often engage in covert intelligence gathering or strategic signaling.
During May and June 2024, the Chinese survey ship Xiang Yang Hong 10 remained for nearly a month in Vietnam's oil and gas fields. In April this year, another vessel, Song Hang , was seen zigzagging between the islands of the Philippines. China also sent a survey vessel into Malaysia's EEZ in the southern part of the South China Sea in 2023.
These surveys are used to gather intelligence, including seafloor mapping, monitoring foreign military and commercial activities, and improving China's operational awareness for current and future contingencies, according to an analysis by SeaLight.
Experts say China's gray-zone tactics have proven successful, allowing Beijing to advance its maritime claims while disguising its activities as civilian operations. This approach helps avoid direct military confrontation and limits the ability of other countries to respond effectively.
A good way to counter China's tactics is through 'maritime transparency,' according to Powell, who believes that exposing China's actions as they occur helps clarify their gray-zone strategies and their impact on regional security.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
39 minutes ago
- Newsweek
China Research Ship Spotted on NATO's Doorstep
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China continues to expand its military reach around the world as one of its naval ships was seen transiting the Strait of Gibraltar and heading into the Atlantic Ocean over the weekend. The presence of the Chinese navy near NATO member states comes as the United States has dispatched an aircraft carrier-led strike group from the East Coast for a mission in Europe. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment by email. Why It Matters The Chinese military possesses the world's largest navy by hull count, with more than 370 vessels in service—enabling Beijing to flex its military muscle both within and beyond East Asia. In January, a Chinese three-ship flotilla concluded a 339-day overseas mission, during which it carried out escort missions, port visits and war games across Asia, Africa and Europe. Situated between Morocco, Spain and the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, the Strait of Gibraltar serves as a passage for about 300 ships daily. American warships, along with those of other NATO allies, frequently transit this key strait as part of their operations. What To Know A Chinese Type 636 distant-ocean survey ship crossed the Strait of Gibraltar westward from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday afternoon local time, according to Daniel Ferro—a Gibraltar-based user on X, formerly Twitter—who photographed the ship. This type of Chinese naval vessel collects oceanographic and meteorological data to support chart production and the development of forecasting systems as the country's navy expands its geographic operations, according to a report prepared by the U.S. Naval War College. The mission of the Chinese survey ship—operated by the People's Liberation Army Navy—remains unclear. It is also not clear whether the vessel—which, as Ferro noted, is "a long way from home"—will make any port calls during its deployment in the Atlantic Ocean. Before the Chinese navy's transit toward the Atlantic Ocean, the U.S. Navy deployed USS Gerald R. Ford—the world's largest aircraft carrier—from Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on June 24 for what the service described as a "regularly scheduled deployment" in Europe. The aircraft carrier forms a strike group with the destroyers USS Mitscher, USS Mahan, USS Winston S. Churchill, USS Bainbridge and USS Forrest Sherman, providing "increased capacity" to deter adversaries and project power on a global scale, the U.S. Navy said. It remains to be seen whether the Gerald R. Ford will move further east to the Middle East following strikes between the U.S. and Iran. Two other U.S. aircraft carriers—USS Nimitz and USS Carl Vinson—are in the region, according to U.S. Naval Institute News. What People Are Saying A report prepared by the U.S. Naval War College in 2018 said: "The geographic expansion of Chinese naval operations has created intense demands to speed mastery of the 'ocean battlespace environment' in new ocean areas. Some of these demands are met by the [People's Liberation Army Navy] itself. The Chinese Navy, like the U.S. Navy, possesses a corps of meteorologists and oceanographers that support the fleet." U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Paul Lanzilotta, the commander of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, said in a news release on June 24: "Our force stands prepared and ready to execute sustained, multi-domain operations at sea, wherever and whenever tasked, in support of American security and economic prosperity." The United States aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford departing Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on June 24 for a regularly scheduled deployment. The United States aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford departing Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on June 24 for a regularly scheduled deployment. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Maxwell Orlosky/U.S. Navy What Happens Next China is expected to continue deploying its naval fleet across various oceans to challenge U.S. naval dominance and assert its influence.
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Washington's tariff volatility masks a broader battle for tech dominance: Pictet
Pictet Research Institute's Maria Vassalou says the U.S. is walking a tightrope, relying on Chinese rare earths to maintain tech supremacy, while imposing tariffs to slow Beijing's challenge.
American Military News
18 hours ago
- American Military News
Chinese ship conducts survey off Vietnam but Hanoi's state media stays silent
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. A Chinese survey ship has been repeatedly circling within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea since mid-June, raising concerns of a potential maritime standoff. The vessel, named Bei Dao 996 , was first tracked by SeaLight, which uses commercially available technology to monitor and expose so-called 'gray zone' activities — meaning coercive activities at sea that stop short of triggering a military response. China is often accused of adopting such tactics to assert its sweeping claims over the disputed waters in the South and East China Seas. On his X account, Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, revealed that the ship came close to Vietnam's coastline. In response, Vietnam's fishery surveillance vessel Kiem Ngu 471 closely shadowed the Chinese ship. The two vessels came as close as 80 meters apart, according to Powell, who warned that the encounter carries a 'risk of prolonged escalation' between the two countries. According to calculations by researcher Phan Van Song, area surveyed so far is nearly 2,000 square kilometers (770 square miles) — about 1,100 square kilometers (425 square miles) of which lies within Vietnam's EEZ, with the remainder falling within the country's extended continental shelf. An EEZ extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from the coast. It is where a country has sole rights to explore resources but must allow free passage to shipping. This particular stretch of water of Vietnam is considered sensitive as it lies near Cam Ranh, the nation's most important naval base and home to its submarine fleet. The survey ship is suspected of conducting dual-purpose activities – scientific research and military intelligence, according to SeaLight. The Vietnamese government has yet to respond to China's actions, and state-run media have not reported on the incident. Article 248 of theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulates that when conducting marine scientific research in the exclusive economic zone or on the continental shelf of a coastal state, the researching party is obligated to provide the coastal state with full information about the project no later than six months prior to the intended start date of the research. It appears unlikely that China would notify Vietnam before sending a survey ship. Beijing claims about 80 percent of the South China Sea as its own – an area roughly demarcated by the so-called nine-dash line which overlaps with waters claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. It also overlaps with waters inside the EEZ of Indonesia, although that country does not consider itself a South China Sea claimant. Speaking to RFA, Phan Van Song, the contributor to the South China Sea Research Foundation, said 'no matter what actions Vietnam takes, China will certainly continue its blatant and illegal survey activities.' The foundation was established by Vietnamese experts who focus on UNCLOS and the South China Sea. In recent years, China has repeatedly sent survey ships into the waters of other countries in the region. According to SeaLight, which was set up by volunteers from Stanford University, these vessels are largely state-owned and typically operate under the guise of civilian or scientific missions, but often engage in covert intelligence gathering or strategic signaling. During May and June 2024, the Chinese survey ship Xiang Yang Hong 10 remained for nearly a month in Vietnam's oil and gas fields. In April this year, another vessel, Song Hang , was seen zigzagging between the islands of the Philippines. China also sent a survey vessel into Malaysia's EEZ in the southern part of the South China Sea in 2023. These surveys are used to gather intelligence, including seafloor mapping, monitoring foreign military and commercial activities, and improving China's operational awareness for current and future contingencies, according to an analysis by SeaLight. Experts say China's gray-zone tactics have proven successful, allowing Beijing to advance its maritime claims while disguising its activities as civilian operations. This approach helps avoid direct military confrontation and limits the ability of other countries to respond effectively. A good way to counter China's tactics is through 'maritime transparency,' according to Powell, who believes that exposing China's actions as they occur helps clarify their gray-zone strategies and their impact on regional security.
