On May 26th, a Vietnamese vessel deliberately rammed a fishing boat before sinking. All 10 crew members from the boat were rescued after the sinking about 31km from the rig.

Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Zhenmin reiterated on Tuesday that China would continue to pursue the peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiations.

He said no country should doubt China’s determination and will to safeguard the peace and stability of the South China Sea.