Vietnam’s foreign ministry says two Chinese ships attacked a Vietnamese fishing boat in the disputed sea and seized its catch and equipment.
The ministry said on Sunday that the incident occurred near the Paracel Islands last Wednesday.
Related: Vietnam asks China not to further complicate the situation in the disputed waters
China claims almost all of the East sea of Vietnam, including the Paracel Islands. Other parties, such as Vietnam, also assert sovereignty over the islands.
The ministry says Vietnam asked China to investigate the matter as the boat could have sunk.
In April, Vietnam protested to China over another incident. A Vietnamese fishing boat was rammed and sunk by a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel near the Paracel Islands.
Vietnam also issued a statement later in the month, protesting China’s announcement that it had established two new administrative districts in the east sea of Vietnam — one on the Paracel Islands and the other on the Spratly Islands. China, Vietnam, and other parties lay claims to the Spratly Islands.
Observers say they are concerned that China has been ratcheting up its activities in the east sea while other nations are busy dealing with the coronavirus.
This story originally posted on NHK