China-Vietnam Tensions Intensify After Vietnamese Ship Sinks In Disputed Waters
Ten fishermen rescued after ramming in South China Sea, says Vietnamese media, as tensions simmer over oil rig.
By Sadho Ram — 27 May 2014, 05:57 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Tensions in the South China Sea escalated Tuesday as China and Vietnam traded accusations over the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel in the vicinity of a Chinese oil rig parked in disputed waters off Vietnam’s coast
File Photo: A Chinese coast guard ship (back) shadows a Vietnamese coast guard vessel near the Paracel Islands on May 14
Image via CNNA Vietnamese fishing boat has sunk after colliding with a Chinese vessel near an island chain in the South China Sea at the center of a territorial dispute between the two Communist neighbors.
cnn.comAccording to China's state-run Xinhua news agency, the Vietnamese vessel had been "harassing" a Chinese fishing boat at 5 p.m. local time on Monday in waters near the Paracel Islands, a largely uninhabited archipelago also known by the Chinese as the Xisha Islands.
However, Luu Tien Thang, a senior officer aboard a Vietnamese coast guard boat patrolling waters nearby, told CNN Tuesday the Vietnamese vessel reported that it had actually been rammed by the Chinese ship during a distress call.
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While the Chinese vessel was purportedly a fishing boat, Luu said there were "usually Chinese military boats in the area with the fishing fleet." Other Vietnamese fishing boats and coast guard ships picked up the 10 crew members aboard the Vietnamese vessel, Luu added.
cnn.comThe relations between both the nations have plummeted to the worst in decades following anti-Chinese riots two weeks ago and the incident was certain to aggravate the already charged diplomatic and economic tensions
Chinese and Vietnamese coast guard ships are patrolling near the Haiyang Shiyou oil rig, seen to the rear
Image via BBCBut Beijing labeled Vietnam as the aggressor, with the Chinese state-run news agency, Xinhua, saying the Vietnamese fishing boat “capsized when it was interfering with and ramming” a Chinese fishing vessel from Hainan, a province of China.
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Then China accused Vietnam of sabotage and interfering with the operations of the oil rig, which has become a flash point of tensions ever since Vietnam learned that the Chinese had set up the rig in waters contested by both nations.
At sea, armadas of ships from both countries are jousting with each other as the Chinese try to protect the USD1 billion oil rig operated by the energy giant Cnooc and the Vietnamese attempt to disrupt its operations
Chinese and Vietnamese boats have rammed each other in the area around the oil rig, and the Chinese have acknowledged that they used water cannons to keep the Vietnamese away from the rig, which stands as tall as a 40-story building.
nytimes.com
China maintains that its current drilling activities are legitimate and blames the Vietnamese for provoking the conflict
A placard (R) at a 18 May protest in Ho Chin Minh City urged Vietnam to take China to an international court
Image via bbcimg.co.ukAt a daily press briefing in Beijing Tuesday, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Qin Gang said the Vietnamese vessel had "forcefully intruded" into the area where its drilling rig was operating, then ran into the left side of a Chinese fishing boat before capsizing.
cnn.com"I want to stress that the direct cause for this incident is that the Vietnamese side ... insisted on disturbing the normal operation by the Chinese side and took dangerous action on the sea," said Qin. "We once again urge the Vietnamese side to stop immediately all kinds of disruptive and damaging activities."
He said there is "no dispute concerning the sovereignty of the Xisha islands," and that they are Chinese territory. "We hope the Vietnamese side will stop its disruptive actions and bear in mind the overall interests of the stability of the region. Only by doing so can the Vietnamese side uphold the overall interests of bilateral relationship," Qin added.
cnn.comThe spat recently spilled into violent anti-Chinese protests across Vietnam two weeks ago, prompting Beijing to evacuate thousands of its nationals
The protests in May saw at least 15 factories burnt, including this Taiwanese furniture factory
Image via bbcimg.co.ukRecent video aired by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed some limping or being carried down the stairs of a medical flight arriving in the city of Chengdu, many with limbs bandaged. Two Chinese nationals were killed in earlier clashes, authorities said.
cnn.comVietnam characterized the protests as "spontaneous acts" by individuals who were exploiting the situation to "cause social disorder."