By Li Hongmei
Vietnam on Monday accused a Chinese vessel of firing on one of its fishing boats in disputed waters off the Xisha Isalnds, denouncing the incident as a "serious violation" of its territorial sovereignty.
The Vietnamese boat was fishing near the Xisha Islands last Wednesday when it was "chased and shot at by a Chinese vessel, causing a fire in the cabin," Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said.
"Vietnam strongly protests, urging China to investigate and seriously deal with the wrongful and inhumane act and compensate Vietnamese fishermen for their loss," Nghi said in a statement on the ministry's website.
It did not say what kind of Chinese vessel was involved.
Vietnam also claimed, in recent years, China has begun patrolling around the islands, using fishing bans and patrol boats to keep foreign trawlers out.
