Vietnam on March 25 protested China’s recent chase and firing at its fishing boat in the waters of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, and demanded the Chinese side to investigate the incident. Answering reporters’ queries regarding Vietnam’s response to the case, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said that on March 20, the QNg 96382 TS fishing boat of the central province of Quang Ngai was conducting its normal fishing activity at the traditional fishing ground in Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago when it was chased and shot at by Chinese vessels. This is an extremely serious incident that violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa archipelago, threatens the lives of and causes damage to Vietnamese fishermen, Nghi said. It also seriously breaches the principles of international law and the agreement on the basic principles guiding the settlement of sea issues between Vietnam and China, and runs counter to the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), the official added. Vietnam demands China to investigate and strictly deal with such a wrongful and inhumane action, and compensate Vietnamese fishermen for their damage, Nghi said. Also on March 25, a Foreign Ministry representative met a Chinese Embassy representative in Hanoi and handed a diplomatic note opposing the above-mentioned action by the Chinese side.