Vietnamese fishermen say attacked, robbed by Chinese ship   A Vietnamese fishing boat that was allegedly damaged by a Chinese ship on March 6, 2016. Photo credit: Dan Tri A fishing boat with 11 crew members has been attacked and robbed by a Chinese ship while fishing near Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, the owner told local media. Vo Quang Thai from the central province of Quang Nam said he and his crew were fishing in Vietnamese waters on Sunday when the Chinese vessel approached them and managed to control everyone onboard. They then took food and fuel and destroyed fishing nets, Thai said. The crew reported the incident to local coast guards after that. Their boat arrived at Ky Ha Port late Monday. Local authorities are looking into the case. Chinese ships have been condemned after harassing and attacking many Vietnamese fishing boats in recent years. On January 1, a Chinese vessel rammed and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat around 40 nautical miles east of Con Co Island off Quang Tri Province. The foreign vessel left even as 10 Vietnamese fishermen reportedly pleaded for help. They struggled for a while before other fishing boats arrived and rescued them. “Vietnam has indisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos,” Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh says. Photo: Anh Dan Vietnam has reiterated its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands in the East Sea, known internationally as South China Sea. On February 25, Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh called on relevant sides to take responsible and constructive actions in maintaining peace and stability in the region. Binh was responding to media questions on Vietnam’s response to China’s deployment of warplanes to Phu Lam (Woody) Island in Hoang Sa and its construction of a high frequency radar facility in Truong Sa, as well as reports that the US may put mobile artillery weapons in the East Sea. “Vietnam has indisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos,” he said. Thanh Nien News