As tensions continue to rise in the South China Sea between China, Vietnam and other nations which stake a claim on maritime territory there, the Financial Times looks at how the dispute is impacting fishermen at work in the waters:
Mr Hien is one of dozens of Vietnamese fishermen who have had their equipment, fish or even boats seized by Chinese patrol vessels this year, as tension between the two neighbours over contested waters in the South China Sea boiled over.
Hanoi claims that some of its fishermen have been shot at by Chinese patrols and that this harassment of its fishermen is in violation of international law. Beijing maintains that it apprehends only those who have violated its sovereignty or lack the correct licence.
This is one of several long-running disputes over fishing grounds in Asia, where freewheeling fishermen with large investments to recoup do not always respect the “exclusive economic zones” laid down in international maritime law.
Relations between China and Vietnam, which purport to be “good friends, good neighbours, good comrades”, have sunk to their lowest level in recent times following allegations by Vietnam that China has been sabotaging its oil exploration vessels, sparking rare anti-China protests on the streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Meanwhile, as CHina’s largest patrol vessel docks in Singapore’s harbor, Singapore has asked China to clarify their claim to territory in the South China Sea. From Reuters:
Singapore said on Monday that China should clarify its claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea and urged all parties to act with restraint amid the biggest flare-up in regional tension in years over competing maritime sovereignty claims.
The rare comment from Singapore, a non-claimant to any of the islands, came as one of China’s biggest civilian maritime patrol ships, the Haixun 31, docked in the city-state.
“We have repeatedly said that we think it is in China’s own interests to clarify its claims in the South China Sea with more precision as the current ambiguity as to their extent has caused serious concerns in the international maritime community,” the foreign ministry said.
