Vietnam has asked China to immediately and unconditionally release fishing vessel QNg 66478TS and its nine fishermen, seized on Sept. 11 while fishing near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Pacacel) archipelago.
The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s representative made the request during a meeting with officials of the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi on Oct. 5.
Immediately after receiving information about the seizure, Vietnam’s concerned agencies conducted verifications and concluded that the fishing boat and the fishermen, all from the central province of Quang Ngai, were seized while fishing normally in territorial waters around the Hoang Sa archipelago under Vietnam’s sovereignty. When fishing, the ship just carried normal fishing equipment such as nets and floodlights.
Since then, the Foreign Ministry’s representatives have met with Chinese officials at different levels both in Hanoi and Beijing to deal with the case.
The ministry’s Consular Department officially sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese Embassy on Sept. 21, saying that the Chinese sea patrol’s seizure of the Vietnamese ship and its fishermen seriously infringed Vietnam’s sovereignty and sovereign rights. The department demanded the Chinese side promptly and unconditionally free the fishing vessel and fishermen.
At the Oct. 5 meeting, the Chinese Embassy’s representative said the ship used explosives to catch fish so China’s relevant agencies demanded its owner pay a fine and informed the families of the seized fishermen about the decision. The Chinese side will release the vessel and fishermen once the ship owner pays the fine, the representative said.
The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s representative rejected China’s decision, stressing that the arrest and penalty are unreasonable and that ship QNg 66478TS operated normally in the Hoang Sa territorial waters which are absolutely under Vietnam’s sovereignty.
There were no explosives on the ship and the report, which was sent by the Chinese fishing control centre to the Vietnamese Embassy in China on Sept. 15, did not mention that the ship carried explosives, the ministry’s representative emphasised./.
The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s representative made the request during a meeting with officials of the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi on Oct. 5.
Immediately after receiving information about the seizure, Vietnam’s concerned agencies conducted verifications and concluded that the fishing boat and the fishermen, all from the central province of Quang Ngai, were seized while fishing normally in territorial waters around the Hoang Sa archipelago under Vietnam’s sovereignty. When fishing, the ship just carried normal fishing equipment such as nets and floodlights.
Since then, the Foreign Ministry’s representatives have met with Chinese officials at different levels both in Hanoi and Beijing to deal with the case.
The ministry’s Consular Department officially sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese Embassy on Sept. 21, saying that the Chinese sea patrol’s seizure of the Vietnamese ship and its fishermen seriously infringed Vietnam’s sovereignty and sovereign rights. The department demanded the Chinese side promptly and unconditionally free the fishing vessel and fishermen.
At the Oct. 5 meeting, the Chinese Embassy’s representative said the ship used explosives to catch fish so China’s relevant agencies demanded its owner pay a fine and informed the families of the seized fishermen about the decision. The Chinese side will release the vessel and fishermen once the ship owner pays the fine, the representative said.
The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s representative rejected China’s decision, stressing that the arrest and penalty are unreasonable and that ship QNg 66478TS operated normally in the Hoang Sa territorial waters which are absolutely under Vietnam’s sovereignty.
There were no explosives on the ship and the report, which was sent by the Chinese fishing control centre to the Vietnamese Embassy in China on Sept. 15, did not mention that the ship carried explosives, the ministry’s representative emphasised./.
