Vietnam Accuses China of ‘Brutal’ Attack on Fishing Boat in South China Sea

Vietnam accused Chinese law enforcement of a “brutal” attack on a Vietnamese fishing vessel on Sunday that threatened the lives of crew members in disputed waters of the South China Sea.

An alleged attack by Chinese law enforcement authorities on a Vietnamese fishing vessel from the central province of Quang Ngai resulted in injuries to 10 crewmen, including three that suffered broken bones, state media Tien Phong newspaper reported.

Vietnam has a long-standing territorial dispute in the South China Sea with China, which claims the majority of the area as its territory—an assertion that overlaps with separate claims by Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan as well as the Philippines.

Read More: China Is Testing How Hard It Can Push in the South China Sea Before Someone Pushes Back

“Vietnam is extremely concerned, indignant and resolutely opposes the brutal behavior of Chinese law enforcement forces against Vietnamese fishermen and fishing vessels operating in the Paracel archipelago of Vietnam,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said in an emailed statement Wednesday evening.

Vietnam protested the incident in discussions with China’s Hanoi embassy. The ministry demanded “China to fully respect Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Paracel archipelago, promptly investigate and notify Vietnam on the results, and do not to repeat similar actions.”

China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the Vietnamese boats “illegally” fished in the waters of the Paracel Islands without the permission of the Chinese government. Chinese authorities took measures to stop them, it added. 

“The on-site operations were professional and restrained, and no injuries were found,” the Foreign Ministry said in response to questions from Bloomberg News. “China does not accept Vietnam’s so-called ‘protest’ and has resolutely rejected it.”

The U.S. also weighed in, saying it’s deeply concerned by reports of “dangerous actions” by Chinese law enforcement vessels against Vietnamese fishing boats.

Beijing has passed a slate of regulations in recent years as a means to enforce its claims in the South China Sea. That includes enacting new maritime patrol regulations earlier this year authorizing the detention of foreign ships and individuals law enforcement suspect of illegally entering what China considers to be its territorial waters.

Read More: Why the U.S. Faces a Delicate Balancing Act on Countering China in the South China Sea

“What this signals is the laws that China has passed right up through this year and very recently are now being applied,” said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales, comparing the incident to recent collisions with Philippine resupply vessels elsewhere in the South China Sea. “Everyone else should take note.”

Vietnam’s Tien Phong reported that the attackers were accused of seizing about four tons of seafood and smashing and removing equipment from the boat. Losses were estimated at 500 million dong ($20,220), it added. 

Vietnam and the Philippines signed two letters of intent in August, including one on humanitarian assistance at sea, while a more comprehensive security agreement is targeted for completion later this year. In June, Vietnam offered to have talks with the Philippines about overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea as Manila decries increasingly violent clashes with Chinese vessels in contested waters.

The Philippines issued a statement on Friday condemning China’s moves. “We stand with Vietnam in denouncing this egregious act and call for accountability,” National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said. “Such actions escalate tensions and threaten regional security.”