A number Vietnamese fishing vessels made it to shore and safety on June 3, despite having been severely damaged after consecutive ramming incidents, all provoked by Chinese ships.

Vietnamese fishermen have reported that their ships were surrounded and rammed by dozens of Chinese ships reinforced with metal, in order to stop their fishing activities.

Chinese ship blasts Vietnamese Coast Guard with water cannons

Le Van Chien, the captain of a fishing ship from Danang, said, “During our 25-day sea trip, we were chased and surrounded by Chinese ships on a daily basis. My ship was rammed many times.”

Nguyen Van Con B, the captain of another Vietnamese fishing vessel, said that on the day when the fishing ship ĐNa 90152 was rammed and sunk, Chinese ships took extremely aggressive actions. He witnessed the ship being surrounded and rammed by several Chinese ships.

Despite rising tensions in the East Sea, Vietnamese fishermen who are victims of such actions simply take some days rest to prepare to go to sea again.

Also, on the afternoon of June 3, another ship run by the Vietnamese Coast Guard moored at a port in Danang City for repairs of four holes caused by Chinese ships.

Rammed Vietnamese ship

Recently, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted a China National Radio military channel as saying that Chinese ships rammed a number of ships of the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries and Vietnam Coast Guard in waters near the illegally-placed Chinese oil rig.

China National Radio was reported to have said the first incident happened at around 12:30pm on June 1 when a Chinese ship fired water cannons at a ship run by the Vietnam Directorate of Fisheries for five minutes, forcing it to retreat.

Two other Chinese ships then aggressively deterred Vietnamese Coast Guard vessels while on patrol.

At 5pm on the same day, another ship from the Vietnamese Coast Guard was crashed into by a Chinese ship, causing serious damage to the boat and its equipment.