Rigging the Game: PRC Oil Structures Encroach on Taiwan’s Pratas (Dongsha) Island
Economics & Energy, China Brief, Jamestown, China, EEZ Encroachment Katie Lin Economics & Energy, China Brief, Jamestown, China, EEZ Encroachment Katie Lin

Rigging the Game: PRC Oil Structures Encroach on Taiwan’s Pratas (Dongsha) Island

Beijing’s relentless pressure on Taiwan now includes oil rigs: twelve permanent or semi-permanent structures and dozens of associated ships. The structures, which are owned by state-owned firm CNOOC, include seven rig structures, three floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, and two semi-submersible oil platforms. All are located within Taiwan’s claimed exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Pratas/Dongsha Island.

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China has debuted its new landing barges
Amphibious Assault, Taiwan, Chinese Maritime Militia, Hybrid Wafare, Dual-Use Technology, Military Civil Fusion Cypress House Amphibious Assault, Taiwan, Chinese Maritime Militia, Hybrid Wafare, Dual-Use Technology, Military Civil Fusion Cypress House

China has debuted its new landing barges

Just to their right, a line of strange looking ships loom in the mist. The enormous ships are unmoving, raised above the waves by thick pylons. Drop-down bridges connect them to each other, the front one extending down to the sand. Jason Wang, chief executive of Ingenispace, a geospatial analysis company, said the ships were a clear sign of China’s “creativity…They can produce the ships really fast – four to six months – and get them into theatre,” Wang said. “They can also iterate improvements faster than everybody else.”

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