China says arrest of Vietnam fishermen lawful

BEIJING—China said Thursday the detention of two Vietnamese fishing boats and 21 crew near the disputed Paracel Islands was lawful, after Hanoi demanded their “immediate and unconditional” release.

“China holds indisputable sovereignty over the Xisha (Paracel) Islands. There is no dispute over this,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.

“The actions of the Vietnamese fishing boats violated China’s sovereignty and maritime rights. The actions taken by Chinese authorities were valid law enforcement actions.”

Hong further urged Hanoi to “manage and educate” their fishermen and end “illegal poaching” in Chinese waters.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi has demanded the “immediate and unconditional” release of the men and said their arrest two weeks ago “seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty”.

The detentions are the latest in a string of diplomatic skirmishes between the two neighbors over islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Last week, Hanoi said China had “seriously violated” its sovereignty by allowing a Chinese oil company to open bidding for oil exploration near the Paracel Islands.

The Paracels have been controlled by China since 1974 but are claimed by Vietnam. Beijing says it has sovereignty over essentially all of the West Philippine Sea, a key global trading route.

One-third of global seaborne trade passes through the West Philippine Sea, which is also believed to encompass huge oil and gas reserves.