Chinese Ship Seen Moving South Near Malaysia Amid Rising South China Sea Tensions

Chinese Ship Seen Moving South Near Malaysia Amid Rising South China Sea Tensions
A Chinese coast guard ship (back) sails next to a Vietnamese coast guard vessel (front) near China's oil drilling rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea on May 14, 2014. (Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP via Getty Images)
Reuters
Updated:

A Chinese survey ship locked in a standoff with Vietnamese vessels moved south near Malaysia, shipping data showed on April 16, amid accusations that China is using the pandemic to assert its presence in the South China Sea.

The Haiyang Dizhi 8 was spotted off Vietnam this week, returning after being closely tracked last year in the resource-rich sea, which is a potential global flashpoint as the United States challenges China’s sweeping maritime claims.