Business

Why China is putting an oil rig off Vietnam coast

By Christopher Bodeen
Published May 8, 2014 12:31pm ET
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Why China is putting an oil rig off Vietnam coast
In this photo released by Vietnam Coast Guard, a Chinese ship, left, shoots water cannon at a Vietnamese vessel, right, while a Chinese Coast Guard ship, center, sails alongside in the South China Sea, off Vietnam's coast, Wednesday, May 7, 2014. Chinese ships are ramming and spraying water cannons at Vietnamese vessels trying to stop Beijing from setting up an oil rig in the South China Sea, according to Vietnamese officials and video evidence Wednesday, a dangerous escalation of tensions in disputed waters considered a global flashpoint. (AP Photo/Vietnam Coast Guard) | AP

BEIJING (AP) — China has towed a deep sea drilling rig to a spot off Vietnam’s coast in waters claimed by both. The rig has been escorted by a reported 70 Chinese craft that have rammed Vietnamese ships and fended them off with water cannons, raising tensions between the nations to their highest in years.

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China Oil Vietnam