China/Vietnam/South China Sea: China Sends Ship as Warning to Vietnam: No Court Case, No Oil Drilling

Jun 22, 2020 | Ralph Jennings, Voice of America
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China sent a survey vessel through waters claimed by its maritime sovereignty rival Vietnam this month to warn Hanoi against starting new energy exploration projects and filing any motions in an international court, observers say. The Chinese government, the most powerful entity in a six-way South China Sea sovereignty dispute that includes Vietnam, hopes its ships discourage Vietnamese leaders from filing for world court arbitration as the Philippines did in 2013, analysts believe.