Chinese vessels continue to block Vietnamese ships near oil rig site

Chinese ships constantly followed and obstructed the law enforcement operations of Vietnamese fisheries surveillance authorities, coming as close as 30m from Vietnamese vessels.— Photo AFP

HA NOI (VNS) — Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ships as well as fishing boats refused to be cowed by Chinese aggression in the East Sea yesterday, persisting in asking that the illegally placed oil rig be moved out of Vietnamese waters.
The Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department said that China yesterday mobilised up to 137 ships, including five military ships, to protect oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 that it illegally stationed in Vietnamese waters.
At 06:40 and 08:13, Vietnam's law enforcement forces at sea also detected two Chinese reconnaissance aircraft operating at an altitude of 1,000m-2,000m in the west – southwest and the south – southwest areas, about 12-13 nautical miles from the rig's position.
Chinese ships constantly followed and obstructed the law enforcement operations of Vietnamese fisheries surveillance authorities, coming as close as 30m from Vietnamese vessels.
However, the Vietnamese fisheries surveillance vessels still retained their operations at about 10 – 12 nautical miles from the rig and conducted communication actions requesting the Chinese side to withdraw the rig and ships from Vietnamese waters.
The same day, about 54 Chinese fishing ships, supported by a coast guard ship (coded 46102), formed a line to block Vietnamese fishing boats from operating in their traditional fishing grounds, about 35-40 nautical miles from the rig.
However, the aggression could not stop Vietnamese fishermen from conducting their usual activities in the nation's sovereign waters.
Yesterday was a continuation of Chinese aggression in Vietnamese waters, including the firing of high-power water cannons and deliberate ramming of Vietnamese public-service and civil ships that has damaged many boats and injured many people on board.
Chinese ships have also continuously encircled, constrained and driven away Vietnamese fishing boats and even injured Vietnamese fishermen, threatening their lives.
Meanwhile, the US State Department has expressed concern over more Chinese rigs being placed in "disputed waters" in the East Sea.
Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a press conference in Washington on June 20 that the US State Department did not have enough information about the placement of the rigs and would withhold judgment.
"If a rig were placed in disputed waters, that would be a concern," she told reporters.
She said US has "a national interest in the maintenance of peace and stability in the region."
On the same day, US President Barack Obama and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key stressed the need for peaceful resolution of the East Sea dispute and called for steps to avoid the escalation of tensions.

Illegal acts