Vietnam says China sank fishing boat in disputed waters

Vietnam on Tuesday accused a Chinese vessel of sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea, raising tensions between the two neighboring countries even further as they spar over rival territorial claims.

The boat sank Monday 18 miles southwest of a large oil rig that China deployed in early May in a disputed part of the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam. The rig has become the focal point of a fierce diplomatic row and of violent anti-China riots in Vietnam that last month led to an evacuation of 3,000 Chinese citizens from Vietnam.

A representative of the Vietnamese fishing industry, Tran Van Linh, said Tuesday that 40 Chinese boats surrounded a group of vessels, ramming and sinking one of them. He said that other Vietnamese boats picked up the people on board and that there were no injuries. 

He called the alleged attack a "perverse, brutal and inhumane action" by the Chinese, as quoted by The Associated Press.

China has dismissed the allegations and instead cast blame on the Vietnamese side.  The state-run Xinhua news agency said the Vietnamese vessel had been "harassing" a Chinese fishing boat.

"The crew aboard the boat were saved after their ship jostled a fishing boat from Dongfang City in southern China's Hainan province," Chinese government sources told Xinhua, adding that China has begun talks with Vietnam over the incident.

The two countries, which have close economic ties, have been involved in a tense standoff, with their vessels occasionally colliding with each other in recent weeks. They have long argued over the jurisdiction of areas in the South China Sea, where there are oil and natural gas deposits. 

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, bringing it into conflict with Vietnam, the Philippines and three other countries that have rival claims. In recent years China has been more assertive in pressing its claims in the waters and has resisted attempts to negotiate.

After China deployed the rig in May, Vietnam sent patrol ships to confront it, and China has countered with dozens of ships to protect it.

But Linh said Monday was the first time China sank a Vietnamese boat.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said Tuesday his country was watching developments in the Vietnam-China standoff. "We're trying to learn the right lessons, and our armed forces and coast guard and other concerned agencies are looking at the possible scenarios and what should be our appropriate response," he said.

He spoke from a western Philippine naval base that he said was equipped with surveillance and communications gear to better guard against territorial intrusions.

Vietnam is trying to rally regional and international support against Beijing, but its options are limited because China is the country's largest trading partner.

The United States, which shares many of the concerns of the smaller claimants about China's rising military might, called China's deployment of the rig "provocative."

Wire services