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China military planes support illegal oil rig in Vietnam’s waters

China military planes support illegal oil rig in Vietnam’s waters

Tuesday, May 20, 2014, 12:37 GMT+7

China has used military aircraft to support over 130 ships it deployed to guard oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 that has been planted illegally in Vietnamese waters in the East Vietnam Sea since May 1, the Vietnam Coast Guard reported Monday.

>> Video: Chinese vessels attack Vietnamese ships in Vietnam's waters>> China deploys myriad fishing boats to guard illegal rig in Vietnam’s waters>> Attack from Chinese ship leaves 2 Vietnam fishermen badly injured>> Deputy PM affirms Vietnam’s demand for removal of Chinese rig >> Vietnamese ship hits back at 15 Chinese vessels with water cannon At about 9:00 am yesterday, one of these military planes appeared in the sky above the Vietnamese vessels that were requesting that the drilling platform and its escort ships leave the Vietnamese waters, which is within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. The aircraft, a JH-7 fighter jet, flew four rounds above the Vietnamese ships at an elevation of 700-1,000 meters.  About 30 minutes later, the plane headed north and was soon out of sight.

Tuoi Tre's latest clip of the attacks by Chinese vessels on Vietnamese ships in Vietnam's waters

At 11:30 am, Chinese military plane #B-3808 appeared and flew two rounds above Vietnam Coast Guard ship #8003 at a lower height at 250 meters.

This Vietnamese ship had earlier been surrounded by the six Chinese vessels #2112, 46101, 35101, 33102, 3411, and 33006, which blocked its way when it got close to the area where the rig is located. Whenever Vietnamese vessels moved in an area about six nautical miles from the rig and used loudspeakers to request that the platform and its escort ships leave the waters, the Chinese vessels immediately approached the local ships and fired their water cannons at them.  Particularly, Chinese marine police ship #2506 kept getting close to Vietnam Coast Guard boat #8001 at a distance of 1-2 nautical miles.  By yesterday, the number of Chinese vessels dispatched to the waters amounted to 136, including four military ships, according to a report from the Vietnam Fisheries Resources Surveillance Department. On May 6, during a phone call with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi regarding the illegal operation of the oil rig, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh demanded that China move the drilling rig and escort vessels out of the area immediately and hold talks to resolve differences surrounding the issue. As the Chinese rig and its escort ships remain in Vietnamese waters, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh made a phone call to Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi on May 15, requesting that Chinese authorities respond to Vietnam’s demand that Beijing withdraw its rig from the sea area. Last Saturday, May 17, during his separate phone talks with the foreign ministers of Russia, Indonesia, and Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh said Vietnam resolutely requests that China remove its oil rig from Vietnamese waters immediately.

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