Russian coast guard fires on Chinese boats in Sea of Japan

The Russian patrol vessel that sank a Chinese fishing boat in 2009, causing eight deaths. (Internet photo)

Two Chinese fishing boats were fired upon by the Russian coast guard vessel Dzerzhinsky in the Sea of Japan on July 17, reports the Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao.
A spokesman for the Russian Border Guards Service said the Dzerzhinsky was forced to fire on the vessels after they refused to desist from fishing in Russian waters. After a three-hour chase, the Russian ship opened fire on the two vessels from eastern China's Shandong province.
The two boats, with a combined crew of 36, were eventually captured by the Russian coast guard for crossing the maritime border illegally. A 22.5 ton squid was found aboard one of the boats. Further investigation will be held at Nakhodka on the Trudny peninsula.
The Chinese consulate at Khabarovsk denied rumors that a Chinese crew member fell overboard during the confrontation.
This is not the first time a violent confrontation has occurred between a Russian patrol and Chinese vessels. A Chinese boat was sunk by a Russian vessel in the winter of 2009, leading to the death of eight of the Chinese crew of 16.

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