The Chinese government is again condemning Vietnam's interference of a Chinese oil rig near the Xisha Islands.
Reports are suggesting the Vietnamese boat tried to enter the waters around the oil rig on Tuesday, but was cut off by Chinese boats patrolling the region.
The Vietnamese boat then capsized.
All aboard were pulled from the water alive.
Qin Gang with the Chinese foreign ministry says actions like this only hurt Vietnam's interests.
"It is necessary to point out that the reason behind this incident is that Vietnam is trying to interrupt normal drilling activities by a Chinese company in a dangerous way. The Vietnamese side has also been ignoring Chinese attempts at talks, warnings, and advice over and over again. China is once again urging Vietnam to respect China's sovereignty and stop obstructing Chinese activities in the South China Sea."
The Chinese government is also taking issue with comments from the Japanese government connected to Tuesday's incident.
"Japan should remember that China's Xisha Islands were invaded by Japan's military forces in World War Two. After the victory in World War Two, China regained sovereignty over the Xisha Islands. Does Japan disagree with that? We're calling on Japan to respect this fact and stop mischief-making and making irresponsible comments".
Tensions between China and Vietnam have been on the rise after Vietnamese boats began harassing the Chinese oil rig near the Xisha Islands earlier this month.
The dispute over the Islands has led to fierce anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam.
At least two Chinese citizens have died, while thousands of others were forced to flee the country and return to China.
Vietnamese officials say two people have been sentenced in connection to the violence earlier this month.
With more, CRI's Xu Qinduo spoke with Su Xiaohui from China Institute of International Studies, who notes that Vietnam used to respect China's sovereignty over the Xisha islands. That changed in 1975 when the government in Hanoi attempted to claim the territory.
