China still has a fleet of between 110-115 ships around the rig, including about 40 coast-guard vessels, about 30 cargo ships and tugboats, 35-40 fishing vessels and four military ships.
Viet Nam fisheries surveillance ships yesterday continued intense efforts to oppose China and get it to withdraw the oil rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 from Viet Nam's waters.
The ships stayed about 8-10 nautical miles from where China's oil rig has been illegally placed, according to the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department.
Vietnamese Fisheries Surveillance Department (VSFD) staff yesterday reported high-capacity Chinese vessels in waters around the Haiyang Shiyou-981 rig, which is illegally standing in Viet Nam's waters.
They said the vessels had bulbous bows and were accompanied by two Chinese coast-guard ships. Together with Chinese fishing vessels, they kept on hampering Vietnamese vessels, occasionally throwing stones and bottles.
Meanwhile, Viet Nam's fishing boats carried out normal fishing activities about 35-40 nautical miles from the rig, asserting control over their fishing grounds.
In addition to protesting China's s violation of Viet Nam's sovereignty, the fisheries surveillance ships stood side-by-side with fishing boats to protect them from Chinese vessels.
China's fishing boats, backed by two coast guard ships, continued to hinder Vietnamese fisheries surveillance and fishing ships from accessing the rig.
The Chinese vessels staged spontaneous assaults, pushing Viet Nam's fishing boats about 35-40 nautical miles away from the rig.
At one point, the Chinese vessels even organised into groups, about 9-11 nautical miles from the rig, poising themselves to ram and fire water cannons at the Vietnamese ships.
The Vietnamese fisheries surveillance and fishing ships remained unharmed despite acts of aggression from Chinese vessels.
Chinese tugboat 281 on Saturday deliberately rammed into Viet Nam's fisheries surveillance ship KN-635 that was conducting law enforcement in the area around the Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig that is illegally standing in Vietnamese waters.
The Chinese fleet also blasted sirens, fired water cannons and were ready to ram Vietnamese vessels at any time, preventing them from approaching the rig, the department said.
Despite the Chinese aggression, Viet Nam's fisheries surveillance ships had continued to maintain their operations at about 9-11 nautical miles from the rig to voice their protests and demand China's removal of the rig out of Viet Nam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, according to the department.
Vietnamese fishermen continued to trawl for fish about 25-20 nautical miles from the rig, the department said.
The ships stayed about 8-10 nautical miles from where China's oil rig has been illegally placed, according to the Vietnam Fisheries Surveillance Department.
Vietnamese Fisheries Surveillance Department (VSFD) staff yesterday reported high-capacity Chinese vessels in waters around the Haiyang Shiyou-981 rig, which is illegally standing in Viet Nam's waters.
They said the vessels had bulbous bows and were accompanied by two Chinese coast-guard ships. Together with Chinese fishing vessels, they kept on hampering Vietnamese vessels, occasionally throwing stones and bottles.
Meanwhile, Viet Nam's fishing boats carried out normal fishing activities about 35-40 nautical miles from the rig, asserting control over their fishing grounds.
In addition to protesting China's s violation of Viet Nam's sovereignty, the fisheries surveillance ships stood side-by-side with fishing boats to protect them from Chinese vessels.
China's fishing boats, backed by two coast guard ships, continued to hinder Vietnamese fisheries surveillance and fishing ships from accessing the rig.
The Chinese vessels staged spontaneous assaults, pushing Viet Nam's fishing boats about 35-40 nautical miles away from the rig.
At one point, the Chinese vessels even organised into groups, about 9-11 nautical miles from the rig, poising themselves to ram and fire water cannons at the Vietnamese ships.
The Vietnamese fisheries surveillance and fishing ships remained unharmed despite acts of aggression from Chinese vessels.
Chinese tugboat 281 on Saturday deliberately rammed into Viet Nam's fisheries surveillance ship KN-635 that was conducting law enforcement in the area around the Haiyang Shiyou-981 oil rig that is illegally standing in Vietnamese waters.
The Chinese fleet also blasted sirens, fired water cannons and were ready to ram Vietnamese vessels at any time, preventing them from approaching the rig, the department said.
Despite the Chinese aggression, Viet Nam's fisheries surveillance ships had continued to maintain their operations at about 9-11 nautical miles from the rig to voice their protests and demand China's removal of the rig out of Viet Nam's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, according to the department.
Vietnamese fishermen continued to trawl for fish about 25-20 nautical miles from the rig, the department said.
