CNOOC wades into South China Sea blocks offer

Row: two of the new blocks on offer lie in the Spratlys basin

REUTERS/SCANPIX

By XU YIHE Singapore

 28 June 2012 22:59 GMT

CHINA National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has offered nine deep-water blocks for exploration by foreign companies in the South China Sea, a move that has already drawn protests from Vietnam, which claims overlapping interests in the blocks on offer.

The nine blocks cover 160,124 square kilometres in water depths ranging from 300 to 4000 metres.

CNOOC said these blocks lie in the jurisdiction of China. On Tuesday, when asked at a press briefing if CNOOC’s move in the South China Sea might create tensions with Vietnam, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the tender is a “normal business activity” that is in compliance with relevant Chinese laws and international practices.

“China’s position on disputes regarding the South China Sea remains unchanged. We are committed to properly settling disputes through negotiations and…

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