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China and Vietnam ‘likely to clash again’ as they build maritime militias
- Vietnamese fishing boat sank last week after colliding with Chinese coastguard ship, as neighbours report seeing more Chinese vessels
- Use of state-supported fishing militias in the disputed South China Sea can facilitate force without necessarily sparking a military response, experts say
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China and Vietnam have both been building up paramilitary forces and fishing fleets to stake claims in the disputed South China Sea, according to observers, who warn that the neighbours risk further clashes there after the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat last week.
While Beijing continues its assertive tactics to try to control more waterways in defiance of regional and international opinion, Hanoi is responding but has far fewer boats, analysts said.
The assessment came after a Chinese coastguard ship and a Vietnamese fishing vessel collided near the Paracel Islands on April 2, with each side claiming their ship had been rammed by the other.
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The two countries are embroiled in a long-lasting maritime dispute over claims to part of the South China Sea, and often run into fishing disputes.
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.
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