The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs opposes all acts of force or threats of force against Vietnamese vessels, after information that Chinese coast guard and military vessels surrounded and threatened to use force against the supply ship Hai Dang 05.

Chinese warship 995 is said to have pointed a gun at a Vietnamese ship. Photo cut from a clip of the East Sea and Island Maritime Safety Assurance Company.

"I would like to affirm Vietnam's consistent stance of resolutely opposing any use of force or threat to use force against Vietnamese vessels," Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said today in response to information that Chinese coast guard and military ships surrounded and threatened to use force against Hai Dang 05.

"That action violates international law, goes against the spirit and letter of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), seriously threatens peace and stability in the region and is completely unacceptable and unjustifiable," said Mr. Binh.

The spokesman also said that domestic authorities are clarifying the location and area of ​​the incident as well as a number of related issues to take appropriate diplomatic measures.

Captain of the Hai Dang 05 ship, Tran Van Nga, and crew members of the East Sea and Islands Maritime Safety Assurance Company (under the Southern Maritime Safety Assurance Corporation) said that at noon on November 13, the supply ship was on its way from Son Ca Island to Song Tu Tay Island, part of the Truong Sa archipelago, when it was surrounded by Chinese ships, which pointed guns directly at the ship.

When the ship passed Subi Reef (under Vietnam's sovereignty, illegally occupied by China) about 12 nautical miles, China sent a small ship to chase it away. 30 minutes later, two more coast guard ships appeared, surrounding Hai Dang 05 from the bow and stern. Next, a Chinese warship equipped with 37mm guns and many other weapons approached, approaching the Vietnamese ship. At the same time, the ship continuously fired signal flares at Hai Dang 05, broadcasting in Chinese through loudspeakers.

According to Mr. Nga, the most serious incident was at 12 o'clock, when the Chinese warship opened the 37mm cannon cover, deployed about 10 people in military uniforms to form a combat formation and aimed AKs from the deck of ship 995 to ship Hai Dang 05. In that situation, the crew of ship Hai Dang 05 remained calm and steered the ship according to the planned route, trying to avoid collisions, and the Chinese ships withdrew after an hour and a half./.

According to VNE