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Vietnam protests Chinese force's attack on anglers in contested waters

Vietnam on Wednesday protested to China over what it stated was an attack on a Vietnamese fishing boat three days back in objected to South China Sea waters that hurt numerous anglers.

The Vietnamese foreign ministry said in a declaration that Chinese police beat the Vietnamese fishermen and took away their fishing devices when their boat was running near Hoang Sa, Vietnam's name for the Paracel Islands.

The Chinese-controlled islands, also declared by Vietnam, are in the South China Sea, a hectic international maritime waterway, nearly all of which is claimed by China.

Vietnam is very concerned, upset and resolutely protests the ruthless treatment by Chinese police forces of Vietnamese anglers and fishing boats running in the Hoang Sa archipelago of Vietnam, foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang stated in a declaration.

The ministry delivered a strong demonstration to the Chinese embassy in Hanoi requiring that China respect Vietnam's. sovereignty, investigate the incident and desist from further. such actions, Hang said.

Vietnamese state media reported today that around 40. people from two foreign vessels had beaten the anglers with. iron pipelines, injuring 10.

China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the Vietnamese. boats had actually been fishing illegally in Paracel waters without the. approval of the Beijing federal government, which Chinese. authorities had taken steps to stop them.

The on-site operations were expert and restrained,. and no injuries were discovered, it stated in action to a Reuters. ask for remark, without specifically describing the. attack.

(source: Reuters)