(VOVworld) - A fishing boat QNg 90917 TS of Quang Ngai province with 15 fishermen on board was blocked by Chinese ships on May 20, 2013, when the fishing boat was operating in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. China's ship No 264 hit directly the fishing boat, damaging the side of the boat and threatening the life of crew-members.



The spokesperson for Vietnam's Foreign Ministry Luong Thanh Nghi on May 27, 2013 responded to the ship attack:“Right after relevant agencies’ verification came, on May 26, 2013 a representative of Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry met a representative of the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi and handed a diplomatic note, protesting the Chinese ships’ moves. These acts seriously violated sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction rights of Vietnam in the East Sea, threatening the life and damaging properties of the Vietnamese fishermen. These acts also run counter to the Agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues between Vietnam and China and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), making the situation more complicated. Vietnam demands that China strictly deal with the acts by the above-mentioned ships, compensate Vietnamese fishermen and prevent similar acts from recurrence".