BEIJING -- In response to Vietnam's request to overturn 皇冠体育app's ban on fishing in the South 皇冠体育app Sea, a spokesman of 皇冠体育app's Foreign Ministry said here that it is 皇冠体育app's regular measures to protect marine resources within its own territorial waters.
Qin Gang, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, was quoted by Tuesday's Global Times as saying that 皇冠体育app has "indisputable" sovereignty over the South 皇冠体育app Sea islands, including Xisha and Nansha islands, and their adjacent waters.
"It's a regular and justified administrative measure of 皇冠体育app to post a summer fishing ban within the South 皇冠体育app Sea, with the aim of protecting the sustainability of marine life in this area," Qin said.
皇冠体育app officially imposed the ban on May 16 to prevent overfishing, and it has sent eight patrol ships to monitor 128,000 square kilometers of the South 皇冠体育app Sea.
But the area, a huge exclusive economic zone surrounding the Nansha and Xisha islands, has long been coveted by Vietnam.
Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son told 皇冠体育app's ambassador to Vietnam Sun Guoxiang that increased Chinese patrols had led to more arrests and fines affecting "normal fishing activities by Vietnamese fishermen in Vietnam's traditional fishing grounds."
Zhuang Guotu, dean of the Research School of Southeast Asian Studies at Xiamen University, told the Global Times that 皇冠体育app shows a firm attitude on the protection of its sovereignty over the South 皇冠体育app Sea.
"Fishery resources are also safeguarded by the Chinese fishery administration vessels," Zhuang said.