In a tense month-long stalemate, Vietnamese ships have been keeping a close watch on a Chinese vessel lurking in the waters of the most disputed shipping lane. The Chinese survey ship appeared to be conducting a survey of Vietnam’s offshore oil blocks. The surprising update that the Chinese ship has vacated the area came from a Washington-based think tank. 

The ship left the contested waters amid increasing tensions between Beijing and Hanoi which erupted into protest earlier this month.

Last week, a Vietnamese fishermen’s group urged the government to take stronger measures to remove the ships, saying they were disrupting fishing activities. 

And on Tuesday, Vietnamese police broke up a demonstration outside the Chinese embassy in Hanoi against the operations of the vessel and its escorts. 

The US Navy then sent a warship to the South China Sea in a warning shot to Beijing.

Washington has expressed concerns over China’s repeated actions against certain states in the region.

The US government has previously stated that it is alarmed by Beijing’s “repeated provocative actions aimed at the offshore oil and gas development of other claimant states”.

Vietnam foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang, urged vessels to stay away from the area last month, she said: “Vietnam has had several appropriate diplomatic exchanges requesting immediate withdrawal from Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.

“Vietnam resolutely and persistently protects our sovereign rights by peaceful means on the basis of international laws.”

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The South China Sea is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

An estimated £3.95trillion worth of goods pass through it each year.

In recent months, China has flexed its control over the area and has been seen aggressively building and militarising artificial islands.