Latest news with #SeaLight
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
China Doubles Down Against US Ally in Contested Waters
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China continues to resist calls to remove three controversial structures that South Korean officials fear are the beginning of an unofficial expansion into disputed waters. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Embassy in South Korea with an emailed request for comment. Why It Matters The structures include two floating deep-sea salmon farms and a nearby former oil rig that Beijing maintains is a "support facility" and installed without notifying Seoul. All three sit within the Provisional Measures Zone, where the South Korean and Chinese maritime zones overlap and where only fishing and navigation-related activities are permitted, per a 2000 agreement. South Korean officials have expressed concern the platform, as a semipermanent structure, may breach the spirit of that agreement. They say it may be part of a broader "salami-slicing" effort to incrementally change the status quo in China's favor, as seen in the country's ongoing row with the Philippines in the South China Sea. A Chinese state media photo shows Shen Lan 2 (Deep Blue 2), one of the Yellow Sea structures that has raised concerns in South Korea. A Chinese state media photo shows Shen Lan 2 (Deep Blue 2), one of the Yellow Sea structures that has raised concerns in South Korea. Xinhua What To Know Chinese officials rejected their South Korean counterparts' request that Beijing remove the three structures, reiterating that they are intended purely for aquaculture, not territorial expansion, according to a South Korean Foreign Ministry press release. The demand was among a range of issues discussed at the third Korea-China Maritime Cooperation Dialogue, held Wednesday in Seoul. While Chinese officials ruled out dismantling the rig and aquaculture farms, they invited South Korea to carry out an inspection, the Korea JoongAng Daily newspaper quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying. Satellite imagery labeled by SeaLight analyst Bill Conroy shows the Chinese aquaculture jack-up rig in the Yellow Sea's Provisional Measures Zone. Satellite imagery labeled by SeaLight analyst Bill Conroy shows the Chinese aquaculture jack-up rig in the Yellow Sea's Provisional Measures Zone. SkyFi A senior South Korean diplomat told reporters Thursday that Seoul must "carefully consider how to address our concerns before sending an inspection team." In late February, a research vessel and a South Korean coast-guard cutter were intercepted by the Chinese coast guard as they approached the platform to investigate. During the two-hour standoff that followed, the Chinese vessels became increasingly confrontational. On multiple occasions, they cut across the bows of the Korean vessels in an attempt to block their route, according to ship-tracking data shared by Stanford University-affiliated maritime analysis group SeaLight. What People Are Saying Hong Liang, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, was quoted by the Korea JoongAng Daily: "The facility in question is purely for aquaculture purposes and has nothing to do with territorial sovereignty or maritime boundary delimitation [ …] We are willing to arrange for Korean officials to visit the site directly." Dong Gyu-lee, a research fellow at Seoul-based think tank the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told Newsweek: "In the absence of a definitive demarcation of the maritime boundary between South Korea and China, this issue is highly likely to be a perennial source of contention between the two countries. "In light of the prevailing political divisions within South Korea, it is not inconceivable that certain politicians may seek to highlight this issue to foment anti-China sentiment in South Korea, both prior to and in the aftermath of the presidential election in June." What Happens Next China and South Korea have agreed to hold a fourth Maritime Cooperation Dialogue, next time in China, and to continue communicating through all channels to ensure the issue does not impede the development of bilateral ties, according to the press statement.
Telegraph
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
China using ‘mysterious structures' to claim territory
South Korea fears China is using a series of steel structures to lay claim to a disputed area of the Yellow Sea. Seoul's foreign ministry on Thursday expressed 'deep concern' to Beijing over a gigantic sea rig it has installed in an area where the two nations' exclusive economic zones overlap. China dismissed the concerns, saying that the structure is a fish farm support facility and that it had nothing to do with territorial rights. However, South Korea, which demanded that its 'legitimate maritime rights not be violated', believes China could be attempting to expand its waters using tactics it used a decade ago in the South China Sea. Seoul says the structure, an old French oil rig with a helicopter landing pad, is effectively an artificial island designed to reinforce Beijing's claims over the area. Other Chinese facilities, the Shenlan-1 and Shenlan-2 platforms, are located nearby. China says they are fish farms. On Wednesday, Cho Tae-yul, the South Korean foreign minister, told parliament the government was considering a response that could include installing a similar facility in the area to reinforce its own territorial claims. Analysts discovered the rig, reportedly the size of a football pitch, after South Korean media reported a standoff between Korean vessels investigating the structure, and the Chinese coast guard. Ray Powell, director of maritime analysis group SeaLight, tracked one of the ships involved in the incident, and told Newsweek: 'I knew I could find the coordinates of the mysterious 'steel structure' I kept reading about'. The structures are located in the provisional measures zone, a disputed area where, under an agreement signed in 2001, fishing boats are permitted to operate. The agreement, however, expressly forbids the construction of facilities as well as searching for or developing natural resources in the area. Mr Powell said China could be using the rigs in a 'salami-slicing' strategy designed to incrementally expand its presence in the disputed waters. In 2020, Beijing unilaterally declared the zone to be its 'internal waters'. Familiar tactics The face-off between Seoul and Beijing has echoes of an incident in 2014, when China put an oil rig within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone to expand its control over a large part of the South China Sea and the Paracel Islands. Vietnam responded decisively and China withdrew the rig after two months, claiming their research had been completed early. China has employed a similar tactic in Japanese waters, anchoring large buoys within Japan's exclusive economic zone and claiming that they are merely weather and ocean monitoring devices and that Japan has no reason to interfere with the equipment. One of the buoys is close to the uninhabited Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Japan but claimed by China. Beijing has previously sought to shore up its claims over virtually the entire South China Sea by building island bases on coral atolls.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
China using ‘mysterious structures' to expand its waters
South Korea fears China is using a series of steel structures to lay claim to a disputed area of the Yellow Sea. Seoul's foreign ministry on Thursday expressed 'deep concern' to Beijing over a gigantic sea rig it has installed in an area where the two nations' exclusive economic zones overlap. China dismissed the concerns, saying that the structure is a fish farm support facility and that it had nothing to do with territorial rights. However, South Korea, which demanded that its 'legitimate maritime rights not be violated', believes China could be attempting to expand its waters using tactics it used a decade ago in the South China Sea. Seoul says the structure, an old French oil rig with a helicopter landing pad, is effectively an artificial island designed to reinforce Beijing's claims over the area. Other Chinese facilities, the Shenlan-1 and Shenlan-2 platforms, are located nearby. China says they are fish farms. On Wednesday, Cho Tae-yul, the South Korean foreign minister, told parliament the government was considering a response that could include installing a similar facility in the area to reinforce its own territorial claims. Analysts discovered the rig, reportedly the size of a football pitch, after South Korean media reported a standoff between Korean vessels investigating the structure, and the Chinese coast guard. Ray Powell, director of maritime analysis group SeaLight, tracked one of the ships involved in the incident, and told Newsweek: 'I knew I could find the coordinates of the mysterious 'steel structure' I kept reading about'. The structures are located in the Provisional Measures Zone, a disputed area where, under an agreement signed in 2001, fishing boats are permitted to operate. The agreement, however, expressly forbids the construction of facilities as well as searching for or developing natural resources in the area. Mr Powell said China could be using the rigs in a 'salami-slicing' strategy designed to incrementally expand its presence in the disputed waters. In 2020, Beijing unilaterally declared the zone to be its 'internal waters'. The face-off between Seoul and Beijing has echoes of an incident in 2014, when China put an oil rig within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone to expand its control over a large part of the South China Sea and the Paracel Islands. Vietnam responded decisively and China withdrew the rig after two months, claiming their research had been completed early. China has employed a similar tactic in Japanese waters, anchoring large buoys within Japan's exclusive economic zone and claiming that they are merely weather and ocean monitoring devices and that Japan has no reason to interfere with the equipment. One of the buoys is close to the uninhabited Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Japan but claimed by China. Beijing has previously sought to shore up its claims over virtually the entire South China Sea by building island bases on coral atolls. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Miami Herald
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
China Responds as Territorial Dispute With US Ally Goes Public
Beijing has pushed back at South Korean concerns over a massive steel structure in the Yellow Sea that has raised alarm bells in Seoul The topic has resurfaced in local media following U.S.-based maritime analyst group SeaLight's review of new satellite images of the former oil drilling rig, as first reported in a Newsweek exclusive. The structure, installed in 2022, is the latest of several Chinese structures to be introduced in the Provisional Measures Zone-an area where China and South Korea's exclusive economic zones overlap. The PMZ was created under a 2000 agreement between the neighbors that bars activities unrelated to fishing and navigation, pending negotiations to establish permanent maritime boundaries. Newsweek reached out to the South Korean Embassy in the U.S. and the Chinese Embassy in South Korea with emailed requests for comment. South Korean officials have voiced objections after China expanded the structure without consulting the other party. Seoul is likely also concerned the jack-up rig-so named for the three legs that can be lower to the seafloor-could mark a semipermanent presence and gradual effort to shift the status quo in China's favor, echoing that country's expanding footprint in the maritime zones of the Philippines and Southeast Asian neighbors. China insists the facility is there to support aquaculture operations, such as those being carried out nearby by deep-sea farm Shen Lan 2 Hao, or Deep Blue No. 2. "The aquaculture facilities set up by Chinese company in the PMZ do not contravene the agreement between China and the ROK [Republic of Korea]," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during Monday's regular press briefing. He said China has "shared relevant information and maintained communication" with South Korea through the official channels and called on the country to "view this in an objective and reasonable manner." The official also stressed the neighbors are moving forward with negotiations and "actively carrying out cooperation" in the zone. The structure could house as many as 100 people, a South Korean Fisheries Ministry official told local media, citing technical specification of the former oil rig. According to estimates from SeaLight, a Stanford University-affiliated maritime analysis initiative, the structure is roughly as long as a football field and about 60 percent wider. It is equipped with a helipad and a radome, which typically encases an antenna. "South Korean authorities may suspect there is more happening there than just aquaculture, such as signals intelligence operations," SeaLight director Ray Powell previously told Newsweek. Yet so far, China has rebuffed South Korean attempts to gather more information. In late February, a research ship and a South Korean coast guard cutter were intercepted by the Chinese coast guard as they approached the rig to investigate. During the two-hour standoff that followed, the Chinese vessels became increasingly confrontational, sailing close and on multiple occasions cutting across the bow in a bid to block their Korean counterparts, according to ship-tracking data based on the vessels' AIS signatures, a broadcast of locations designed to avert collisions. Kang Do-hyung, South Korean minister of Oceans and Fisheries, was quoted by the Korea JoongAng Daily: "We regard proportional responses as a very serious matter from the perspective of protecting maritime territory, and [our] government will respond jointly at the national level." The PMZ structures are sure to feature when Chinese and South Korean representatives meet for talks this month. Kang said Seoul is reviewing "proportional" countermeasures to employ if China fails to be more forthcoming about the rig and its intended purpose. Related Articles Chinese Must Remove Stone Lions from the Arctic: ReportsTrump Tries To Isolate ChinaChina Releases Video of Encounter With US Aircraft Carrier Fighter JetChina Buyers Selling Knockoffs of Russian Military Gear Back to Russia 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
China Responds as Territorial Dispute With US Ally Goes Public
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Beijing has pushed back at South Korean concerns over a massive steel structure in the Yellow Sea that has raised alarm bells in Seoul The topic has resurfaced in local media following U.S.-based maritime analyst group SeaLight's review of new satellite images of the former oil drilling rig, as first reported in a Newsweek exclusive. Why It Matters The structure, installed in 2022, is the latest of several Chinese structures to be introduced in the Provisional Measures Zone—an area where China and South Korea's exclusive economic zones overlap. The PMZ was created under a 2000 agreement between the neighbors that bars activities unrelated to fishing and navigation, pending negotiations to establish permanent maritime boundaries. Newsweek reached out to the South Korean Embassy in the U.S. and the Chinese Embassy in South Korea with emailed requests for comment. What To Know South Korean officials have voiced objections after China expanded the structure without consulting the other party. Seoul is likely also concerned the jack-up rig—so named for the three legs that can be lower to the seafloor—could mark a semipermanent presence and gradual effort to shift the status quo in China's favor, echoing that country's expanding footprint in the maritime zones of the Philippines and Southeast Asian neighbors. China insists the facility is there to support aquaculture operations, such as those being carried out nearby by deep-sea farm Shen Lan 2 Hao, or Deep Blue No. 2. This January 1, 2024, photo shows South Korea's coast guard carrying out a safety management inspection. This January 1, 2024, photo shows South Korea's coast guard carrying out a safety management inspection. Korea Coast Guard "The aquaculture facilities set up by Chinese company in the PMZ do not contravene the agreement between China and the ROK [Republic of Korea]," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during Monday's regular press briefing. He said China has "shared relevant information and maintained communication" with South Korea through the official channels and called on the country to "view this in an objective and reasonable manner." The official also stressed the neighbors are moving forward with negotiations and "actively carrying out cooperation" in the zone. The structure could house as many as 100 people, a South Korean Fisheries Ministry official told local media, citing technical specification of the former oil rig. According to estimates from SeaLight, a Stanford University-affiliated maritime analysis initiative, the structure is roughly as long as a football field and about 60 percent wider. It is equipped with a helipad and a radome, which typically encases an antenna. "South Korean authorities may suspect there is more happening there than just aquaculture, such as signals intelligence operations," SeaLight director Ray Powell previously told Newsweek. Yet so far, China has rebuffed South Korean attempts to gather more information. In late February, a research ship and a South Korean coast guard cutter were intercepted by the Chinese coast guard as they approached the rig to investigate. During the two-hour standoff that followed, the Chinese vessels became increasingly confrontational, sailing close and on multiple occasions cutting across the bow in a bid to block their Korean counterparts, according to ship-tracking data based on the vessels' AIS signatures, a broadcast of locations designed to avert collisions. What People Are Saying Kang Do-hyung, South Korean minister of Oceans and Fisheries, was quoted by the Korea JoongAng Daily: "We regard proportional responses as a very serious matter from the perspective of protecting maritime territory, and [our] government will respond jointly at the national level." What's Next The PMZ structures are sure to feature when Chinese and South Korean representatives meet for talks this month. Kang said Seoul is reviewing "proportional" countermeasures to employ if China fails to be more forthcoming about the rig and its intended purpose.
