Hanoi, Vietnam – The tension between Vietnam and China in the South China Sea escalated on Sunday as Vietnamese officials accused Chinese law enforcement of a “brutal” attack on a Vietnamese fishing vessel, endangering the lives of its crew members. The incident, which took place in disputed waters, resulted in injuries to ten crewmen, with three suffering broken bones according to reports from Tien Phong newspaper.
Vietnam has a longstanding territorial dispute with China over the South China Sea, a region where multiple countries, including Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines, also have overlapping claims. The recent altercation has sparked outrage from Vietnam, leading the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Pham Thu Hang, to condemn the actions of Chinese law enforcement forces towards Vietnamese fishermen operating in the Paracel archipelago.
In response to the incident, Vietnam voiced its concerns during discussions with the Chinese embassy in Hanoi, demanding that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Paracel archipelago. The Vietnamese government also urged China to promptly investigate the attack and refrain from engaging in similar acts in the future.
China, on the other hand, defended its actions by stating that the Vietnamese boats were fishing illegally in the waters of the Paracel Islands without permission. The Chinese Foreign Ministry described their intervention as professional and restrained, denying any injuries among the crew of the fishing vessel.
The United States also expressed its apprehension over the reported actions by Chinese law enforcement vessels against Vietnamese fishing boats in the region. This incident comes amidst China’s efforts to reinforce its claims in the South China Sea through the implementation of new maritime regulations, authorizing the detention of foreign ships suspected of entering what China considers its territorial waters.
As tensions continue to mount in the South China Sea, experts like Carl Thayer, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales, warn that China’s recent actions signal a shift in the enforcement of its maritime laws. Meanwhile, Vietnam has reported significant losses from the attack, with the seizure of seafood and damage to the fishing vessel estimated at millions of dong.
In an attempt to address the escalating conflicts in the region, Vietnam and the Philippines have signed agreements on humanitarian assistance and are working towards a comprehensive security pact. The two countries are also engaging in discussions to resolve overlapping territorial claims as they navigate the increasingly volatile situation in the South China Sea.