China sent two more warships on Monday to the Vietnamese waters where the Chinese oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 has been illegally placed since May 1, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper correspondents reported from the scene.
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The reinforcement brought the number of Chinese warships in the area to six, along with 36 Chinese coast guard ships, 21 transport and tugboats, and 44 fishing boats already guarding the illicit platform.
These warships were arranged to the east, west and south of the rig, while Chinese spying plane Y-8 often operated above the area at an elevation of 300-500 meters, the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance Department said.
As on Sunday, Chinese coast guard ships and tugboats continued threatening Vietnamese Coast Guard and fisheries surveillance ships in an effort to push the local force further from their existing locations of 8-11 nautical miles from the drilling platform, the department said.
Meanwhile, China’s large iron-clad fishing boats operated more aggressively to dislodge Vietnam’s smaller wooden boats from their traditional fishing grounds, about 38-40 nautical miles from the rig, within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
However, the maritime law enforcement force managed to stay in their existing location in Vietnam’s waters, continuing to request that the rig and its guarding vessels leave the waters, the department said.
Vietnamese fishing boats, with the protection of fisheries surveillance ships, are trying to stay in their traditional fishing fields, the department added.
After relocating twice – on May 27 and June 1 – the Chinese rig is located at 15°33’22” North latitude and 111°34’23” East longitude, still in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.
China has maintained the rig there, despite strong protests from Vietnam, whose Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued two diplomatic notes to its Chinese counterpart demanding that Beijing withdraw the rig from the area immediately and unconditionally.
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Đăng ký: VietNam News