Chinese ships continue hindering Vietnam’s vessels with violence

Chinese vessel fines water cannon at Vietnam's law enforcement ship (Photo: VNA)

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The department told the press on June 4 afternoon that China maintained 35-40 coast guard vessels, about 30 cargo ships and tugboats, 40-45 fishing vessels and four military ships at the site, along with a renaissance aircraft.

Chinese vessels kept on hindering Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance ships and driving them about 7-9 nautical miles away from the rig, it said. 

However, the Vietnamese law enforcement vessels still persistently stay to protest to China and asked it to immediately withdraw the rig from the Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, reported the department. 

Meanwhile, Vietnamese fishermen continued conducting their catching activities in their traditional fishing ground in Vietnam’s water about 20-25 nautical miles Southwest from the rig, despite the aggressive attacks of about 30 Chinese fishing vessels accompanied by two coast guard ships, according to the department. 

At the beginning of May 2014, China illegally dispatched the rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft to Vietnam’s waters and positioned the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 miles deep inside Vietnam ’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone. 

Chinese ships have continuously encircled, constrained and driven away Vietnamese fishing boats and even injured Vietnamese fishermen, threatening their lives. 

On May 26, Chinese ship 11209 sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel while it was operating normally in its traditional fishing ground near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago. 

On May 27, China moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 22 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 36 seconds east longitude. The new location is 25 nautical miles from Tri Ton Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago and 23 nautical miles east-northeast from the old location, still completely within Vietnam ’s continental shelf. 

As of June 3, the oil rig maintained its position at 15 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 11 seconds east longitude. The location is 25 nautical miles from Tri Ton Island in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago, completely within Vietnam’s continental shelf.