State media warns India not to explore for oil in South China Sea

China has warned India against cooperating with Vietnam to explore for oil in the disputed South China Sea, Reuters reported, citing state media. State-owned Indian energy conglomerate Oil and National Gas Corp announced last week that it had signed a three-year agreement with PetroVietnam to cooperate in oil exploration. “The bottom line for Indian companies is that they must not enter into the disputed waters of the South China Sea,” said China Energy News, part of the state-run People’s Daily. “Indian oil company policy makers should consider the interests of their own country, and turn around at the soonest opportunity and leave the South China Sea.” Chinese and Vietnamese territorial claims overlap in parts of the resource-rich South China Sea, and China is alleged to have pressured foreign companies working with Vietnam to avoid developing offshore oil blocks.