Vietnam again accuses China of violating its fishing rights in its exclusive economic zone
- Three Chinese vessels chased away a local fishing boat from area in South China Sea, according to Vietnamese media
- Hanoi has been the main critic among Southeast Asian nations of Beijing’s assertiveness in maritime disputes
The local fishing boat had been operating in an area 112 nautical miles off the coast of central Khanh Hoa province when it was chased away by the Chinese vessels, according to a report on Vietnamese news website VnExpress on Sunday.
The boat captain contacted Vietnam’s maritime authorities for help, the report said, without elaborating.
It did not provide further details of the incident or the Chinese vessels. But the report quoted Tran Cong Truc, former head of Vietnam’s Government Border Committee, as claiming that the incident was a violation of the country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone.
Relations between the communist neighbours have been marred in recent years by their rival claims in the South China Sea, with Hanoi emerging as the main critic of Beijing’s assertiveness in long-standing maritime disputes among Southeast Asia nations.