Chinese patrols in disputed S. China Sea hit new peak

Data shows near-daily patrols by China amid tensions with its S-E Asian neighbours

BEIJING China's Coast Guard maintained near-daily patrols at key features across the disputed South China Sea in 2022, ramping up its presence as tensions over the waterway with South-east Asian neighbours 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 stand-offs between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels, more than doubled to 310 days in 2022, according to the Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

The number of days Chinese ships patrolled near Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands, where the Philippines maintains a garrison, increased to 279 from 232, while those at Luconia Shoals, near important Malaysian oil and gas operations, rose to 316 from 279, according to the analysis.

The patrols show Beijing's determination to assert control over its claim to more than 80 per cent of the South China Sea, according to the analysis of ship identification data, and raise the risk of a mishap at sea that regional officials worry could lead to a larger conflict.