Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Why China Plans to Place Its Super Offshore Oil Rig in a Disputed Sea

Ralph Jennings

   TAIPEI - Chinese authorities plan to position their first homegrown
   semi-submersible oil rig in a deep-water field in the disputed South
   China Sea to show rivals how far it's willing to go for energy security
   and possibly to expand its political clout, observers believe.

   The platform built over the past 21 months will begin work at the
   Lingshui 17-2 gas field 150 kilometers away from China, domestic media
   outlets said January 18. The site happens to be China's first
   deep-water gas field in the sea, which is contested by five other
   governments.

   While the proposed drilling site lies within China's exclusive economic
   zone of 370 kilometers from its shorelines, Beijing's widespread
   reporting of the new platform shows the other claimants and rival
   superpower Washington how far it could go in securing fuel for domestic
   use, analysts say.

   "I assume they'll probably put it in contested waters and leave it
   there for a few days until whoever gets upset," said Stephen Nagy,
   senior associate professor of politics and international studies at
   International Christian University in Tokyo.

   "We really don't know what they're going to do, but I think it's just
   further evidence of China staking a stronger claim in the South China
   Sea, pushback against the United States and other countries who are
   putting pressure on China or at least arguing that China doesn't have
   sovereignty within the region," he said.

   Beijing claims about 90% of the South China Sea and cites historic
   usage records to back its position. China has used its technological
   and military superiority over the other claimants to develop islets in
   the sea, which stretches from its southern coasts to the island of
   Borneo. Rival claimants Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam
   drill for oil and gas in the same 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea.

.