 |
| Chinese Fishing Boat Fleet |
Indonesia called on China Friday to hand over a fishing boat it claims was operating illegally in its waters near the South China Sea, saying big countries should not "bully" smaller ones.
It was the latest salvo in a rare public row between the nations, which began two weeks ago when Indonesian and Chinese vessels clashed near Indonesia's Natuna Islands.
An Indonesian patrol boat had been seeking to detain a Chinese fishing vessel, which they claimed had been operating without a permit. But as they towed it to shore, Chinese coastguards appeared and rammed the captured boat, helping it to go free.
Beijing claims nearly all the South China Sea -- through which a third of the world's oil passes -- despite conflicting claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.
Indonesia does not have overlapping territorial claims with Beijing in the hotly disputed waters, but it does object to a segmented line China uses to define its claims since this overlaps Indonesia's exclusive economic zone north of the Natunas.
Read the full story at SpaceDaily