Saturday, 20 August 2022
Meet the JournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonCanterbury/South Island
CrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironment and ClimateNZ Herald FocusData journalismKāhu, Māori ContentPropertyWeather
Small BusinessOpinionPersonal FinanceEconomyBusiness TravelCapital Markets
Politics
Premium SportRugbyCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuper RugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmerican SportsHockeyUFC
NZH Local FocusThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke's Bay TodayRotorua Daily PostWhanganui ChronicleStratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu Courier
Covid-19
Te Rito
Te Rito
OneRoof PropertyCommercial Property
Open JusticeVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinion
SpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitions
Fashion & BeautyFood & DrinkRoyalsRelationshipsWellbeingPets & AnimalsVivaCanvasEat WellCompetitionsRestaurants & Menus
New Zealand TravelAustralia TravelInternational Travel
Our Green FutureRuralOneRoof Property
Career AdviceCorporate News
Driven MotoringPhotos
SudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDaily quizzes
Classifieds
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
World

South China Sea: Chinese Coast Guard rams Vietnamse fishing boat

20 Jun, 2020 08:47 PM4 minutes to read
A Coast Guard vessel has rammed a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea, prompting fears Beijing is preparing to enforce its illegal claims to the territory. Photo / Getty Images

A Coast Guard vessel has rammed a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea, prompting fears Beijing is preparing to enforce its illegal claims to the territory. Photo / Getty Images

news.com.au
By Jamie Seidel

A Chinese Coast Guard vessel has rammed a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea, prompting fears Beijing is preparing to enforce its illegal claims to the territory.

Vietnamese state media reported a Chinese ship bearing the hull number 4006 had rammed a fishing boat near Lincoln Island in the Paracel Islands. Beijing seized the island chain during its 1974 war with Hanoi. Both nations continue to claim sovereignty.

The fishing boat's captain says all 16 of his crew leapt overboard after the hull was breached.

Chinese sailors then allegedly boarded the wallowing vessel, seized fish and navigation equipment, and beat and kicked rescued fishermen ordered to pump water out of the damaged vessel.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

The stricken craft was assisted in its return to Vietnam by other fishers.

It's the second time in two months a Vietnamese vessel has been rammed.

A Chinese Coast Guard cutter sank a fishing boat on April 2. Beijing insisted the Vietnamese craft had rammed the Chinese ship and sunk itself.

But South China Sea nations – including the Philippines, Taiwan, Borneo and Malaysia – are concerned the latest incident broadcasts a new willingness to enforce Beijing's arbitrary "fishing ban".

'FLASHING SWORD 2020'

Beijing has been declaring a unilateral summer fishing ban over the South China Sea for several years.

It wants regular halts in all fishing activity above the 12th parallel (which encompasses the Paracels) to allow fish stocks to recover. As it has no internationally recognised jurisdiction over the sea, neighbouring countries have been mainly ignoring the proclamation.

Related articles

World

'Clear insult': Flight that lit China's fuse

14 Jun 05:00 PM
Business

US-China trade war put Australia technology development at risk

16 Jun 12:53 AM
World

US 'countermeasures': Big move against China in the Pacific

16 Jun 06:41 PM

For its part, Beijing has generally not been enforcing the ban on foreign-flagged vessels.

The problem is, this area includes vast tracts of water recognised by the United Nations as belonging to the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Vietnam and the Philippines in particular.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Both nations have again rejected Beijing's claim of authority over their resources.

But this year, Beijing's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs declared China's Coast Guard would engage in operation Flashing Sword 2020 to enforce the ban.

Captain Nguyen Loc told Vietnamese state-controlled media he refused to sign a confession he had breached Chinese waters.

"I steered the boat to escape, and the Chinese ship number 4006 pressed from behind and sunk us. My men quickly jumped to the water. I was still sitting in the cabin, and the water was up to my chest. We shouted 'Murderers! Murderers!'"

The Coast Guard vessel then reportedly deployed a motorboat to recover some crew and return them to their flooded vessel.

"When boarding the Chinese vessel, they demanded that I sign a piece of paper or they would beat me. When they struck, I noticed that the large ship had two big guns ready. I was kicked 30 or 40 times, and hit about 20 times," Loc said.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

"They told me to ask my companions (other fishing boats) to tow my boat home and that this is not their problem. I asked them to tow us to the shoal to fix the boat, but they refused. They then beat me up and left."

GROWING DEFIANCE

Vietnam this year openly rejected Beijing's fishing ban. On April 4, it lodged an official complaint about the sinking of its fishing boat.

According to Dr Nguyen Thanh Trung of the Saigon Centre for International Studies (SCIS), this open defiance has come as something of a surprise to the Chinese Communist Party.

"Beijing must have thought that the region would be caught off-guard. However, China's sinking of the fishing vessel has had a much bigger impact than what it likely anticipated," he writes.

That incident drew international condemnation.

This incident threatens more of the same.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

"China's coercion has also unintentionally helped to unite smaller claimants in the South China Sea," Dr Trung says. He points to vocal support and sympathy from the Philippines which has also experienced attacks on its fishing fleet in recent years.

"It is likely that China sees the COVID-19 pandemic as a rare opportunity to advance its territorial interests," he says, pointing to aggressive moves by Chinese survey ships, coast guard vessels and navy ships in recent months.

"If China keeps pushing hard with its bullying behaviour in the South China Sea, it will certainly give a boost to rising anti-China sentiment in Vietnam, which in turn puts pressure on Vietnamese leaders to recalibrate their foreign policy when the Communist Party's National Congress convenes early next year."

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

World

Female teacher's alleged sex acts on boys

19 Aug 06:44 AM
Premium
World

The bloody uprising against the Taliban led by one of their own

19 Aug 06:00 AM
World

US judges who profited jailing children ordered to pay US$200m in damages

19 Aug 04:53 AM
World

Indian gang ran fake police station out of hotel for eight months

19 Aug 02:26 AM
World

High-level talks in Ukraine don't break stalemate

19 Aug 01:29 AM

Most Popular

Ombudsman sends PM 'please explain' over Sharma allegations
New Zealand|Politics

Ombudsman sends PM 'please explain' over Sharma allegations

19 Aug 07:04 AM
Kawhia shooting: Mum haunted by frightening escape into darkness with children
New Zealand|Crime

Kawhia shooting: Mum haunted by frightening escape into darkness with children

19 Aug 04:04 AM
Premium
Cecilia Robinson rejoins My Food Bag board amid 'deeply disappointing' share price
Business

Cecilia Robinson rejoins My Food Bag board amid 'deeply disappointing' share price

19 Aug 05:32 AM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP