A Vietnamese fishing boat has sunk after colliding with a Chinese vessel near an island chain in the South China Sea at the center of a territorial dispute between the two Communist neighbors. According to China's state-run Xinhua news agency, the Vietnamese vessel had been "harassing" a Chinese fishing boat at 5 p.m. local time on Monday in waters near the Paracel Islands, a largely uninhabited archipelago also known by the Chinese as the Xisha Islands. However, Luu Tien Thang, a senior officer aboard a Vietnamese coast guard boat patrolling waters nearby, told CNN Tuesday the Vietnamese vessel reported that it had actually been rammed by the Chinese ship during a distress call.
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Xinhua: Vietnamese fishing boat sank after colliding with Chinese vessel off Paracel Islands
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Beijing has been drilling for oil near the island chain in the South China Sea both nations claim
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Vietnamese coast guard officials say the fishing boat was rammed amid rising tensions
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All 10 crew aboard the fishing boat were rescued by nearby vessels
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Other Vietnamese fishing boats and coast guard ships picked up the 10 crew members aboard the @placeholder vessel, Luu added.
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"We once again urge the @placeholder side to stop immediately all kinds of disruptive and damaging activities."
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He said there is "no dispute concerning the sovereignty of the @placeholder islands," and that they are Chinese territory.