Chinese
scientists on a marine research vessel carry out the drill in unnamed
location as US amphibious assault war ships head to the region. China seems to show its unilateral dominance in the region.
China has always keen to expand its territory to especially mineral rich areas.
Now it has has drill deep in the South China Sea to retrieve sediment core
from the seabed, Chinese state media has reported, amid tensions over disputed
waters with rival claimants Taiwan and the Philippines, as the United
States increases its naval deployment in the region.
Chinese scientists aboard a marine research ship have used a China-based sea bull II exercise program to find a 231-meter (757 feet) seam foundation with a length of 2,060m (6,760ft), according to Xinhua news agency on Thursday.
The program could help test natural gas resources at sea, Xinhua added, referring to solid ice-like crystals composed of a mixture of methane and water that is considered a promising source of energy.
It was unclear where the ball took place in the South China Sea, with about 90 percent of it claiming to be Beijing as its waters. The International Court of Arbitration for The Hague has announced the claim without legal grounds.
Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei also cause parts of the ocean, which are rich in oil and gas.
The situation has worsened in the area in recent weeks following reports that 200 Chinese "marine" ships have been meeting at Whitsun Reef, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Palawan Island and the Philippine Special Economic Zone (EEZ).
Since then, the US has deployed a US Navy strike force led by USS Theodore Roosevelt, which entered the South China Sea on Sunday.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post on Friday, the US has again sent the USS Makin Island offensive line to enter a busy seafront across the Strait of Malacca.
The group also reportedly included a USS San Diego maritime port, the report said, citing information from the Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initi.
The US has defended its latest maritime activities which it calls "normal" travel and in line with the "freedom of movement" policy.
‘All options are on’
The Philippines, an American federation that has built close ties with Beijing since the reign of President Rodrigo Duterte, has expressed concern over the recent presence of Chinese ships in its EEZ.
On Thursday, the Philippine Ministry of Defense said it was keeping "all our options open" as Manila's ambassador to Beijing escalated.
"As the situation (in the South China Sea) changes, we keep all our options open to managing the situation, including using our relations with other nations such as the United States," Philippine Department of Defense spokesman Arsenio Andolong said Thursday.
The Foreign Ministry has also promised to hold a diplomatic protest every day until Chinese ships leave the Whitsun Reef.
Autonomous Taiwan, with China claiming its territory, has also threatened to shoot down Chinese airlines seen around the Pratas Islands controlled by Taipei in the South China Sea.
In recent days, tensions in the Taiwan Straits have also intensified, with the self-governing island reporting on Wednesday that 15 more continental planes had landed in Taiwan's airspace.
Taipei warned that he would defend himself “until the last day” if necessary.
On Monday, China's superintendent, Liaoning, also led a maritime exercise near Taiwan and Beijing, saying such exercises would be normal.
China's oil and gas exploration activities in the South China Sea have put an end to the controversy, especially when the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) installed a submarine boat in Vietnam's 2014 demand.
One third of the world's $ 3 trillion trade passes through the South China Sea annually.
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