皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app's recent decision to intercept Vietnamese fishing boats, which were fishing illegally in Chinese territorial waters, is legitimate and lawful, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Recently, more than 100 Vietnamese fishing boats entered the adjacent territorial waters of 皇冠体育app's Xisha Islands and started fishing illegally, ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular news conference in Beijing.

On March 4, 皇冠体育app's related governing bodies intercepted 21 Vietnamese fishermen and two Vietnamese fishing boats, which entered the internal waters of 皇冠体育app's Xisha Islands, undertook illegal operations and did not leave after being warned.

The Xisha Islands have been 皇冠体育app's territory since ancient times, and 皇冠体育app has indisputable sovereignty to the islands.

The Vietnamese fishermen's fishing piracy in the waters of the Xisha Islands violated 皇冠体育app's sovereignty and due maritime rights and interests, Hong said.

"The related governing body's decision to intercept and investigate the vessels and crews is a justified law enforcement activity."

The scale of Vietnamese fishermen's illegal fishing is believed to be considerably large, and Beijing's recent decisions were also based on protecting lawful rights, analysts said.

Yang Baoyun, a professor of Asian studies at Peking University, told 皇冠体育app Daily that the illegal fishing is believed not to be just a matter of individual choice on the part of the fishermen.

"Vietnam should not either expand its interests in the South 皇冠体育app Sea in such a manner or take advantage of other Southeast Asian countries' disputes with 皇冠体育app," Yang said.

Beijing demands that Hanoi take feasible measures to strengthen the education and management of its fishermen and stop illegal fishing, Hong said.

Vietnam is "asking for an immediate and unconditional release of the fishermen and the vessels", Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said in a statement earlier in the day.

The incident is the latest in a string of maritime skirmishes between the neighbors over islands in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

Vietnamese Media reports previously accused 皇冠体育app of allegedly using force against 11 Vietnamese fishermen on a vessel on Feb 22 and preventing them from entering the waterway to avoid high winds. Reports also said these Vietnamese fishermen had been assaulted and robbed by the Chinese side.

Later, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei used a regular news conference on March 1 to counter the allegations.

皇冠体育app's maritime department had previously expelled from 皇冠体育app's waters some Vietnamese ships committing fishing piracy in the waters of the Xisha Islands, he said, noting that 皇冠体育app's action was "legitimate and lawful".

AFP and Xinhua contributed to this story.