bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Mimi Lau

China has accused a Vietnamese fishing vessel of ramming a coastguard ship in disputed waters in the South China Sea.
The incident, which happened around midnight on Thursday, has fuelled tensions between the two sides with Vietnam blaming China for the incident and lodging an official protest.
The Chinese coastguard said in an online statement late on Friday that the Vietnamese fishing vessel QNG90617 had been fishing illegally in waters near the Paracel Islands and had refused to leave after repeated warnings.
“It rammed into our coastguard ship 4301 and sunk, all eight of the crew have been rescued,” the coastguard spokesman Zhang Jun said.

He added that the crew had confessed to illegally entering Chinese waters and dangerous manoeuvres.
The sailors have been handed over to the Vietnamese authorities.
“We have urged Vietnam to take measures to avoid similar incidents from happening in light of the increasingly frequent illegal fishing activities in Xisha waters,” Zhang said, using the Chinese name for the Paracel Islands.
“China’s coastguards will also step up control in curbing these illegal activities,” he added.
Chinese ship, Vietnamese fishing boat collide in South China Sea
But Vietnam rejected Beijing’s account. Its foreign ministry said on Saturday that the Vietnamese fishing vessel had been rammed and sunk by the Chinese vessel.
“The Chinese vessel committed an act that violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago and threatened the lives and damaged the property and legitimate interests of Vietnamese fishermen,” the foreign ministry said in its statement, referring to the Paracel Islands by its Vietnamese name.
The ministry said it had lodged a protest against Beijing, and the Vietnam Fisheries Society said all the fishermen were picked up by the Chinese vessel and transferred to two other Vietnamese fishing vessels operating nearby.
Vietnam and China have for years been embroiled in a dispute over the potentially energy-rich waters, called the East Sea by Vietnam.
The incident marks the second time in less than a year a Vietnamese fishing vessel has been reportedly sunk near the Chinese-controlled Paracels.


A Chinese oil survey vessel conducted operations in Vietnamese-controlled waters for more than three months last year, prompting a stand-off with Vietnamese ships.
Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea as its territory and has built artificial islands with military capable facilities over reefs and outcrops in the area, which are also claimed in part by Vietnam.
The South China Sea Probing Initiative, a think tank affiliated with Peking University, said 569 Vietnamese vessels had engaged in illegal activities in the disputed waters in March, a marked increase from 311 in February.
Hundreds of Vietnamese fishing boats intrude into Chinese waters, think tank claims
China and its Southeast Asian neighbours often run into fishing disputes.
Tensions between China and Indonesia are also simmering following a series of incidents over fishing activities in the North Natuna Sea.
Indonesian officials down played the incidents, but critics said China was acting more aggressively and had violated Indonesia’s sovereign rights.
Additional reporting by Reuters

Sign up now and get a 10% discount (original price US$400) off the China AI Report 2020 by SCMP Research. Learn about the AI ambitions of Alibaba, Baidu & JD.com through our in-depth case studies, and explore new applications of AI across industries. The report also includes exclusive access to webinars to interact with C-level executives from leading China AI companies (via live Q&A sessions). Offer valid until 31 May 2020.



China’s coastguard circles Scarborough Shoal after Philippines stakes its legislative claim

Indonesia’s Prabowo on managing South China Sea row: ‘partnerships better than conflicts’

Storm Toraji: Hong Kong lowers T8 at 10.20am, HKEX operates through storm for first time

Joe Biden, Xi Jinping will meet on Apec sidelines in Peru, US official says

South China Sea

China says Vietnamese fishing boat rammed coastguard ship before sinking

The Chinese coastguard ship 4301 collided with a Vietnamese fishing boat. Photo: Weibo

Woody Island (Yongxing Island), one of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. 16AUG19 SCMP / Roy Issa

News

China

Military


Vietnam gives different account of incident and says the Chinese vessel was responsible for the sinking
Two sides have repeatedly clashed over the disputed Paracel Islands



Vietnam gives different account of incident and says the Chinese vessel was responsible for the sinking.


China says Vietnamese fishing boat rammed coastguard ship before sinking

Vietnam gives different account of incident and says the Chinese vessel was responsible for the sinking Two sides have repeatedly clashed over the disputed Paracel Islands

Vietnam gives different account of incident and says the Chinese vessel was responsible for the sinking

Two sides have repeatedly clashed over the disputed Paracel Islands