Vietnam Daily News

Korean coastguard killed in China boat clash

Written by Dailynews.vn Tuesday, 13 December 2011 18:44

A Chinese trawler captain has stabbed two South Korean coastguards, killing one, in an encounter that highlights the increasingly bitter battles for fishing grounds and offshore energy resources between China and its neighbours. South Korea's coastguard said it arrested the Chinese captain and eight crewmen on Monday after a fight for control of his vessel near the maritime border with North Korea. South Korea's foreign ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador to express regret over the killing and called for stronger action from Beijing. China said it was "ready to work" with South Korea following the incident and was educating its fishermen not to fish across the border.
(France24.com) Over the past year, clashes between Chinese fishing vessels and Korean authorities have become increasing violent. To ward off Korean boarding parties, Chinese trawlers are lashed together, sometimes in groups as many as 12 strong. Chinese crews often defend their vessels with boathooks, metal bars and shovels, while the South Koreans blast back with jets of water. Two Chinese fishermen drowned last year in a collision between a fishing boat and a South Korean coastguard ship. A South Korean coastguard drowned trying to inspect a Chinese vessel in 2008. "Fishing conflicts have always been a big problem in the Chinese-Korean relationship, but this has grown a lot more severe," said Wang Junsheng of the Institute of Asia Pacific Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. South Korean authorities are overwhelmed by the number of Chinese vessels, particularly crabbers, that they accuse of fishing illegally in their waters and special economic zone in the Yellow Sea. Seoul has seized 471 Chinese fishing vessels so far this year, 100 more than last year. More broadly, the incident adds to concerns among China's neighbours that the rising power in their midst might become more assertive and ignore international rules. Last year, Japan's seizure of a Chinese fishing vessel sparked a diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo. Vietnam and the Philippines have complained about violent harassment of prospecting ships by Chinese vessels in disputed waters. There are also frequent clashes between Chinese fishing boats and ships from neighbouring countries in the South China Sea as well as Vietnamese fishing boats and Chinese government vessels. "China's coastal marine resources are being depleted, and our fisheries administration is not handling things very well," said Lu Chao, head of the Institute of Korean Studies at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences. But in general, China contests the argument that it is the source of the friction. "There are just as many intrusions in our waters. It's just that we tend to keep quiet about these kinds of things," said a military official. Lu blamed "overly extreme" South Korean law enforcement practices, including ramming Chinese fishermen's ships and dropping teargas from helicopters, for part of the violence. Seoul has also increased the collateral it can seize from illegal Chinese fishing vessels to Won100m ($87,000) from the current Won70m. -By Christian Oliver and Kathrin Hille

Source: www.intellasia.net/news/articles/society/111350658.shtml