A temporary fishing ban initiated by China in some parts of the Gulf of Tonkin has triggered an angry response from Vietnam. The Gulf of Tonkin is a maritime area that is currently shared by the two countries, once more adding to the volatile tensions surrounding the South China Sea.
China's fishing ban states that all fishing activities must be suspended from May 16 to August 1, according to Reuters.
The fishing ban, which happens every year, was initially launched in 1999 "to promote the sustainable development of the fishing industry in the South China Sea and protect the fundamental interests of fishermen," according to state news agency Xinhua.
The foreign ministry of Vietnam has posted a statement on its website late on Saturday. In the statement, Vietnam claims that the fishing ban enacted by China violates international law and Vietnam's sovereignty and jurisdictional rights, according to Business Insider.
China and Vietnam both claim parts of the South China Sea, as well as some remote islands and reefs. The overlapping claims by the two countries have triggered tensions to rise in 2012 and 2014, after Beijing detained a number of Vietnamese fishermen who were reported to have been fishing in disputed waters.
In a statement on Sunday, China's Defence Minister Chang Wanquan addressed the issue with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phung Quang Thanh, according to the state-run newspaper China Daily.
Both countries have "the wisdom and capability to achieve success in tackling maritime issues," he said.
China and Vietnam are currently seeking to patch up relationships since a row erupted May last year, when China sent a $1-billion oil rig in Vietnamese-claimed waters, Reuters reported. The bold move trigged a number of confrontations at sea between rival sea vessels, as well as sparked a number of violent anti-Chinese protests in Vietnam.
China is claiming more than 90 percent of the South China Sea. Other Asian countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei are also laying claims on parts of the disputed waters.
