Chinese authorities have demanded that South Korea apologize for a clash at sea between Chinese fishing boats, which were reportedly illegally fihing in South Korean waters, and a South Korean Coast Guard vessel. From Bloomberg:
“China asks South Korea to severely punish perpetrators, compensate losses to life and property on the Chinese side and take effective measures to prevent similar incidents,” Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters in Beijing today. “We are seriously concerned about the incident and have solemnly raised the issue to South Korea.”
South Korea maintains that the Dec. 18 collision took place after the Coast Guard discovered about 50 boats from China illegally fishing in South Korean waters. The Coast Guard said four of its officers were injured when the crew from one vessel resisted their attempts to board.
Jiang declined to specify whether the perpetrators she referred to were from the Korean side. She also said the incident “had no direct relation to the current tense situation on the Korean peninsula.”
