There are news reports for all the other countries/companies when the reach agreement. There are reports about no drilling until 2009. There are reports about the Chinese and others trying to secure rights to drill. There are reports of the location of every offshore drilling rig in the world. I have found nothing like an industry report that speaks of the Chinese winning a bid or drilling.
I have sent a few emails to some of the more reliable sources that have said China is drilling. All of them are unanswered beyond confirmation receipt.
Example of news report:
PDVSA {Venezuela} has also taken out blocks in the gulf, as have Spain's Repsol-YPF, India's ONGC and Nordsk Hydro, Vietnam state oil and gas group Petrovietnam, Malaysia's state-run Petronas and Canada's Sherritt International.
All are still performing seismic studies and not yet drilling.
Petrobras studying block in deep Cuban waters
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-8252—5-5—.html
Any drilling is not going on now.
Cuba Postpones Drilling The Strip ‘Til 2009
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2002821/posts
Garcias. Some things are going on but it just hasn’t shaken out yet.
The GOP is spreading the China mis-info to influence public opinion just as they did back in 2006 when they where trying to get the Domenici-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act passed to open up Area 181 in the Gulf.
The reason they play the China card is to make you jerk your knee so hard, you won't question the Cuba embargo, which not only prevents US companies from drilling Cuban waters, but also prevents any oil produced there from being refined by US refineries, or in US refineries in the Virgin Islands.