Chinese soldiers attack Vietnamese fishermen in disputed islands

Armed Chinese soldiers were reported to have attacked a Vietnamese fisherman and threatened other crew members of a fishing boat near the disputed islands in the South China Sea which are being claimed by both countries.

A Chinese Navy ship reportedly chased the fishermen and dispatched a speedboat with 10 soldiers armed with automatic rifles in an area near the Paracels Islands. A report by SFGate says the Chinese soldiers kicked the a Vietnamese officer and threatened the other crew members. A Vietnamese official said the Chinese troops confiscated one ton of fish from the Vietnamese fishermen and drove away from the area. The incident which occurred last July 5, is the latest encounter in the disputed islands between soldiers of the two neighboring communist countries Last June Vietnam held a live ammunition drill in the disputed sea lanes in an apparent move to counter China's alleged incursions at the Vietnamese-claimed territory within the disputed Spratly islands. Spratly is a groups of small islands and atolls said to have enormous oil and mineral deposits which are being claimed in part by neighboring Brunei, Malaysia, China, Taiwan and the Philippines.