Vietnamese ship fights back against 15 Chinese vessels with water cannon

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The exchange with water cannons occured at 7:30 am on Monday in Vietnamese waters where China has illegally planted its drilling rig HD 981 since May 1, two Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper correspondents reported from the scene.

The drilling rig has been protected by as many as 80 Chinese escort ships including warships since that day. 

The location is at 15°29’58’’ North latitude and 111°12’06’’ East longitude in the East Vietnam Sea, within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, about 119 nautical miles (221 km) from Ly Son Island off the central Vietnamese province of Quang Ngai and 18 nautical miles south of Tri Ton Island of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

The counter-attack lasted for an hour when Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ship 9226 was surrounded by 15 Chinese vessels.

At 7:30 am on May 12, the Vietnamese vessel hung a Chinese banner demanding that China remove its oil rig and escort ships from the Vietnamese waters.

Along with other fisheries surveillance ships, vessel 9226 entered the area where the platform is located.

Then the Vietnamese ship was trying to approach the rig when the Chinese side deployed 15 maritime surveillance ships to besiege the Vietnamese watercraft.

Many of the Chinese ships intentionally crashed into the Vietnamese vessel and other boats.

One Chinese vessel then attacked ship 9226 with its water cannon. 

Meanwhile, five other Chinese boats got close to the sides of the Vietnamese vessel and also used their water cannons to blast it.

They directed their water cannons to the chimney, cabin and the antenna system of the Vietnamese vessel.

All the crewmembers and reporters on board the Vietnamese vessel were kept safe before it started carrying out a plan to defend itself.

During the attacks, the captain of the vessel, Cao Duy, decided to use its water cannon to fight back against the attackers.

Two Vietnamese fisheries surveillance officers stood at the prow of the vessel to operate the water cannon.

Five minutes from that moment, the Chinese ships’ formation was broken up and they had to lower the intensity of their attacks on the Vietnamese vessel.    

As the pressure of the water fired from the Chinese water cannons was very high, the crewmembers and reporters aboard would have been injured if vessel 9226 had had its glass windows broken during the attacks.

However, the Vietnamese vessel’s captain could manage to ‘survive’ the assaults, ensuring no damage to its glass windows.

After an hour of water cannon exchange, at 9:45 am, all the Chinese ships retreated.

Vessel 9226 had a Vinasat antenna system broken and fallen into the sea while one of its loudspeakers was badly damaged. However, none of the people aboard were wounded in the fight.

On behalf of the crew of vessel 9226, Captain Cao Duy, through Tuoi Tre, wanted to promise to the Vietnamese people in the mainland that they would try their best to safeguard the country's waters.

Duy added that the Vietnamese fisheries surveillance force and Coast Guard will make no concession to the Chinese and will appropriately respond to any violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty.