A dispute between Vietnam and China over oil and natural gas fields in the South China Sea continued to grow last week as Chinese officials dispatched four armed patrol ships to the area. The dispute between Vietnam and China has been ongoing for several years, but heated up this past week when China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) said in a statement on its website that it is opening nine offshore blocks in the South China Sea for joint operation with foreign companies. The proposed leases are in water from 984 feet to 13,123 feet deep and cover about 61,824 square miles.
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