China_Vietnam Dispute
Flag of Vietnam Marine Guard flies near a ship of Chinese Coast Guard in the South China Sea, about 210 km (130 miles) off shore of Vietnam on May 14, 2014. Vietnamese ships were followed by Chinese vessels as they neared China's oil rig in disputed waters in the South China Sea on Wednesday, Vietnam's Coast Guard said. Vietnam has condemned as illegal the operation of a Chinese deepwater drilling rig in what Vietnam says is its territorial water in the South China Sea and has told China's state-run oil company to remove it. China has said the rig was operating completely within its waters. Reuters/Nguyen Ha Minh

Six Vietnamese fishermen have been detained by Chinese naval ships on Thursday in the latest fallout in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

Vietnamese state-media reported that the fishermen were detained along with their boat near the disputed Paracel Islands. However, China’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying the boat was operating illegally when the fishermen were picked up near the undisputed coastal area of China’s southern Hainan Island, adding Vietnam needs to educate fishermen about Chinese territories.

The detention is likely to add to the growing tension between Beijing and Hanoi, which are engaged in a territorial dispute after a Chinese oil rig was positioned roughly 120 miles off Vietnam’s coast and in a special economic zone designated by Vietnam, an area over which both countries claim jurisdiction.

The geopolitical dispute quickly manifested among its people, setting off anti-Chinese riots starting in what turned out to be a Taiwanese-owned factory. The movement escalated violently, killing several Chinese nationals and eventually drove out many Chinese expatriates. While the xenophobic riots have stopped, officials from both sides have called for negotiations to avoid future problems.

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