Hanoi—China’s unexpected decision to move a giant oil rig further from Vietnam’s coast was likely part of the normal exploration process but could also signal the start of protracted on-and-off clashes over drilling rights between the two South China Sea neighbors. “What we are observing is likely a sign of what lies ahead for months and perhaps years to come, as Beijing attempts to frustrate and exhaust Hanoi’s efforts at resistance, while also trying to undermine objections by pulling its activities somewhat further away,” Jonathan London, a professor in the Department of Asian and International Studies at the City University of Hong Kong, said Wednesday.
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