Chinese ships continue aggressive acts around oil rig’s site

On July 6, the Chinese side continued its aggressive acts at the site where its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 is illegally standing in Vietnamese waters to prevent Vietnamese law enforcement ships from approaching the rig.

China still maintained around 110 ships of all kinds, including five military ships at the site. Whenever Vietnamese fisheries surveillance vessels came near the rig, Chinese ships simultaneously blasted sirens, sped up and came very close to stop them from moving farther.

Chinese fishing ships, supported by two vessels moved around the traditional fishing grounds of Vietnamese fishermen and tried to drive Vietnamese fishing boats away.

However, Vietnamese fishing boats, with the assistance from fisheries surveillance vessels, continued to stay at the site to fish.

A Chinese vessel (R) trying to prevent a Vietnamese Coast Guard ship from approaching the illegal oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese fisheries surveillance vessels braved the Chinese side’s aggressive acts to try to come to 10-11.5 miles from the oil rig site and continued to carry out their mission of demanding China to withdraw the oil rig and ships from Vietnam’s waters.

At the beginning of May 2014, China illegally dispatched the rig as well as a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft to Vietnam’s waters and positioned the rig at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude. The location is 80 miles deep into Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

Despite Vietnam’s protest, China expanded its scale of operation and moved the rig to 15 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 11 seconds east longitude, 60 nautical miles deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

China’s armed vessels have aggressively and consistently fired high-power water cannons at and intentionally rammed against Vietnamese public-service and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and injuring many people on board.

On May 26, Chinese ship 11209 even sank a Vietnamese fishing vessel while it was operating normally in its traditional fishing ground near Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.