China ended its oil drilling operations in the contested part of the South China Sea which is also claimed by Vietnam, according to Chinese state media.

The Chinese oil rig, which ignited Hanoi's ire when Beijing deployed it near the Paracel Islands, will be relocated to another place. Vietnam previously called for Beijing to tow the rig away and tried to disrupt its drilling and exploration operations, the Associated Press detailed.

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China's drilling operations in disputed waters triggered anti-Chinese protests and riots in Vietnam. Beijing argued there was nothing wrong with the operations because it owned the waters.

According to a report by Xinhua, the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) announced on Tuesday that it will end the drilling and exploration because of the incoming typhoon season. The rig would then be moved to operations nearer to China's Hainan Island.

Xinhua added that CNPC's operations resulted in the discovery of oil and gas, but the company was still studying the data before deciding on what to do next.

At the beginning of the deployment, Beijing announced that it would pull the oil rig out on August 15. Although the main reason for the move is still unclear, Beijing could have deployed it either for commercial purposes or to stake out its territorial claims in the area.

China claims majority of the South China Sea. The rig deployment created tension with other nations that also claim ownership of the waters including Vietnam and the Philippines.

As Beijing's economic and military powers grow, many of its rival Asian countries grew wary of it. Its growth also unnerved the U.S., which is trying to boost its ties with Southeast Asian nations in a bid to contain China.

The U.S. saw the oil rig deployment as part of China's efforts to advance its position in the existing territorial dispute in a way that disturbs the "peace and stability" in Southeast Asia.