HANOI — Vietnam has accused China of trespassing and demanded a Chinese survey ship in the South China Sea withdraw in the latest flashpoint over the disputed territory. The two countries have long been locked in a maritime disagreement over the resource-rich waters, with the Chinese claiming nearly all of it. The Vietnamese have "persistently requested them to... withdraw all these ships from Vietnam's waters and respect its sovereignty." While the Chinese did not confirm the presence of the vessel in the South China Sea, a Ministry of Foreign affairs spokesman said Wednesday that they hope Vietnam "can truly respect China's... jurisdiction" over the waters. In June, a Chinese vessel and a fishing boat from the Philippines collided in the South China Sea, sparking public outrage as Manila accused the trawler of abandoning the 22 Filipino crew members.

Source: Philippine Star July 20, 2019 06:22 UTC