Vietnam accuses armed Chinese soldiers of beating fisherman near disputed island

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Vietnam accuses armed Chinese soldiers of beating fisherman near disputed island

By The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – 29 minutes ago

HANOI, Vietnam - A Vietnamese official has accused armed Chinese soldiers of

beating a Vietnamese fisherman and threatening other crew members. The alleged

attack came near disputed islands in the South China Sea claimed by both

countries.

A border official in Vietnam's central Quang Ngai province says a Chinese navy

ship chased the fishermen before dispatching a speedboat with 10 soldiers armed

with automatic rifles and batons. They boarded the fishing boat near the

contested Paracel islands.

The soldiers punched and kicked the Vietnamese captain and threatened nine other

crew members in the July 5 incident. The official, who spoke on condition of

anonymity, said the captain was not injured.

The incident is the latest flare-up in a spat between the communist neighbours.