Chinese military aircraft on June 20 flew at a low altitude above Vietnamese law enforcement vessels operating near the place where China illegally places its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 inside Vietnam’s waters, according to Vietnam News Agency reporters at the site.

The reporters said they saw a Z-9C helicopter bearing the number 9237 flying at an altitude of 150m-200m above the Vietnamese ships in the morning of June 20. Later a SU-30MKK fighter plane and a reconnaissance craft circled around above the Vietnamese coast guard and fisheries surveillance vessels.

When the Vietnamese ships were about 10 nautical miles from the rig, three Chinese coast guard ships, a fisheries administration vessel and a tugboat sped up towards the Vietnamese vessels and attempted to ram at them.

The Vietnamese law enforcement vessels tried to dodge them but stayed at the site to conduct communication actions requesting the Chinese side to withdraw the rig and escort ships out of Vietnam’s waters.

Vietnam’s fisheries surveillance staff also detected two minesweepers near the rig’s site.

China has illegally positioned the rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone since May 2. From its initial position at 15 degrees 29 minutes 58 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 12 minutes 06 seconds east longitude, the rig then was moved to 15 degrees 33 minutes 36 seconds north latitude and 111 degrees 34 minutes 11 seconds east longitude. The new location is still deep inside Vietnam’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.

At the same time, China has deployed a large fleet of armed vessels, military ships and aircraft to protect the rig. China’s armed vessels aggressively fired high-power water cannons at and intentionally rammed against Vietnamese public-service and civil ships, causing damage to many boats and injuring many people on board.

Chinese fighter aircraft are also flying over the area where the rig is illegally standing in Vietnam’s waters and acting aggressively.

VNA/VNN