Chinese Patrols in Disputed Sea Hit New Peak Amid Tensions
- Patrols off the Vanguard Bank alone more than doubled in 2022
- US bolstering ties with Southeast Asian nations amid threat
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China’s Coast Guard maintained near-daily patrols at key features across the disputed South China Sea last year, ramping up its presence as tensions over the waterway with Southeast Asian neighbors remain high, new tracking data shows.
Patrols in the waters surrounding the Vanguard Bank off Vietnam, an area known for its oil and gas reserves and the site of repeated standoffs between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels, more than doubled to 310 days in 2022, according to the Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.