September 10, 2014 — Vietnam has accused Chinese authorities of beating several of its fishermen and demanded severe punishment for those involved. China denied the allegation on Wednesday and said the fishermen had been detained for illegal fishing.
It was the latest confrontation boosting tensions in a sea dispute between the Communist neighbors.
Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website late Tuesday that a Vietnamese boat which was fishing near the Paracel islands on Aug. 15 was intercepted by two Chinese speedboats. It said the Chinese vandalized the fishing boat, confiscated property and beat the fishermen. The Paracels are occupied by China but also claimed by Vietnam.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday that the Vietnamese account was "completely false." She said a Vietnamese fishing boat entered Chinese waters and was using explosives to catch fish and that Chinese authorities had detained the boat and confiscated the explosives.
Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Jersey Herald