An aerial view of Qilianyu islands in the Paracel chain, which China considers part of Hainan province on August 10, 2018. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT / CHINA OUT

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1727854331107New Project.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="An aerial view of Qilianyu islands in the Paracel chain, which China considers part of Hainan province on August 10, 2018. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT / CHINA OUT"/><span class="fr-inner"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">An aerial view of Qilianyu islands in the Paracel chain, which China considers part of Hainan province on August 10, 2018. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT / CHINA OUT</span> </span></span></span></div><p>HANOI, Vietnam - Ten Vietnamese fishers were violently robbed in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported Wednesday, with an official saying the attackers came from Chinese-flagged vessels.</p><p>The men were reportedly beaten with iron bars and robbed of thousands of dollars worth of fish and equipment on Sunday off the Paracel Islands -- an archipelago in the resource-rich waterway claimed by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.</p><p>Vietnamese media did not identify the nationalities of the attackers, but Phung Ba Vuong, an official in central Quang Ngai province told AFP: &quot;They were Chinese, (the boats had) Chinese flags&quot;.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ko-VhpjCtkQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Four of the 10-man Vietnamese crew were rushed to hospital on Monday after arriving at Quang Ngai port, according to state-run Tien Phong newspaper, which said the men were attacked by around 40 people for three hours.</p><p>&quot;Wearing chequered clothes, they cruelly beat us with iron bars,&quot; Captain Nguyen Thanh Bien was quoted as saying, adding that he fell unconscious for around an hour after the attack.</p><p>Footage on Tien Phong&#x27;s website showed the fishers being taken from their boat on stretchers. One had a broken leg and two suffered broken arms, the report said.</p><p>Captain Bien told authorities that around $20,000 worth of equipment and fish had been stolen in the attack.</p><p>Party official Vuong -- who chairs the people&#x27;s committee of Binh Chau, the commune where the fishermen live -- said on Facebook he &quot;strongly opposed the barbarous acts by China.&quot;</p><p>Neither the foreign affairs ministries of Vietnam nor China immediately replied to a request for comment from AFP.</p><p>In a separate incident on Sunday, Tien Phong newspaper said another Vietnamese fishing boat in the Paracels was robbed of up to $12,200 worth of equipment and fish.</p><p>Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, a waterway of immense strategic importance through which trillions of dollars of trade transits every year.</p><p>There are rival claims to parts of the sea from neighboring countries, including Vietnam, but China has become increasingly aggressive in asserting itself in the area.</p><p>The incident comes several weeks after Chinese army Lieutenant General He Lei said China &quot;will resolutely crush any foreign hostile encroachment on China&#x27;s territorial, sovereign and maritime rights and interests&quot;.</p><p>He made the statement on the sidelines of a defense forum in Beijing following a series of high-profile confrontations with Philippine ships in the waters.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0gjPXTzRX0w?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Ten Vietnamese fishers were violently robbed in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported Wednesday, with an official saying the attackers came from Chinese-flagged vessels.</p>

Ten Vietnamese fishers were violently robbed in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported Wednesday, with an official saying the attackers came from Chinese-flagged vessels.

Vietnamese fishers attacked in South China Sea: state media | ABS-CBN

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

World

Vietnamese fishers attacked in South China Sea: state media

Vietnamese fishers attacked in South China Sea: state media

Agence France-Presse

Published Oct 02, 2024 03:32 PM PHT

Read More:

ABSNews

Vietnam

China

politics

diplomacy

maritime

South China Sea

territorial dispute

Paracels

Spratlys

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Advertise with Us

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.