A Chinese ship rammed into a wooden Vietnamese fishing vessel navigating in disputed sea waters, sinking it and ratcheting up tensions between the two nations further.
Nobody was reported injured, but the incident in the South China Sea waters was the most intense in weeks and comes as ships and vessels from both nations have been circling each other in the region, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“I call this an act of attempted murder because the Chinese sank a Vietnamese fishing boat and then ran away,” Tran Van Linh, president of the Fisheries Association in Da Nang, told The Associated Press. “We vehemently protest this perverse, brutal and inhumane action by the Chinese side.”
China, however, had its own version of events. In state-run media, authorities said it was the Vietnamese boat that intimidated the Chinese boat, the Los Angeles Times reported.
“Chinese fishermen took resolute measures to prevent acts of sabotage and interference with Vietnam,” Xinhua news agency reported.
All 10 aboard the fishing boat were rescued, but the craft was completely lost.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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