China continues East Sea aggression - Institute for Maritime and Ocean Affairs

China continued to maintain its illegal presence and aggression in Vietnamese waters on June 27 as more condemnation of its actions came from US and Philippine officials.

The Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department reported that China had 110-114 ships of various kinds around oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 yesterday. It had illegally placed the rig in Viet Nam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone early last month.

The Chinese fleet includes 43 coast guard, 14 cargo, 34 fishing ships, 17 tugboats and six military vessels, it said.

From 9.00-9:36 a.m, a reconnaissance aircraft was seen flying at the height of 1,000-2,000m above the rig, then heading northwest.

When Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ships approached the rig at a distance of 10-11.5 nautical miles to demand China immediately remove the rig and its ships out of Vietnamese waters, Chinese ships again formed a line, sped up and sounded their sirens, showing they were ready to ram the Vietnamese ships again.

And as Vietnamese fishing ships operated in their traditional fishing grounds 40-44 nautical miles from the rig, they were obstructed by nearly 40 Chinese fishing vessels backed by their fisheries surveillance ships 46102 and 46106.

Violence condemned

Meanwhile, the Viet Nam Bar Federation (VBF) yesterday issued its second statement protesting China’s repeated use of force in the East Sea to change the status of Viet Nam’s sovereignty over its waters.

It noted that on May 2, China had illegally placed its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou – 981 deep inside Viet Nam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the East Sea.