Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Tue, 1 Sep 1992 14:01:32 -0400
From:         Nhan Tran <tran@PEORA.SDC.CCUR.COM>
Subject:      NEWS/VN: Hanoi protests over Chinese raids on ships
X-To:         FISHLM%SNYBUFVA@pucc.princeton.edu, scv@media.mit.edu,
              seasia-l@msu.BITNET, vietnam@cco.caltech.edu, vn-news@saigon.com

08/31

VIETNAM PROTESTS OVER CHINESE RAIDS ON SHIPS

    HANOI, Aug 31, Reuter - The Hanoi government protested on Monday against the
Chinese seizure of Vietnamese ships and cargo and urged the detained vessels be
released, saying Beijing was breaking maritime law and hurting bilateral
relations.
    The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry also said Hanoi officials were in contact
with Chinese authorities in an attempt to resolve the issue.
    The ministry said in a statement that Chinese authorities recently detained
Vietnamese ships that had left Hong Kong, or were sailing between China's Hainan
Island and the mainland, without informing the Hanoi government.
    "This action does not conform with international maritime law, with
Vietnamese-Chinese relations which have been officially normalised, and with the
cooperation between the maritime industries of Vietnam and China," the statement
said.
    It said some ships had been released, while others and their cargo were
still being held.
    "The concerned Vietnamese bodies are continuing contacts with the Chinese
side on this issue to resolve it for the benefit of Vietnamese-Chinese
cooperation," the ministry said.
    One senior Vietnamese maritime expert said on Monday that Chinese traders
had been smuggling cars, electronics and other luxury goods from Hong Kong to
China through Vietnam to avoid import duty.
    He said the Vietnamese government had adopted a special decision in August
to try to stop that smuggling. But he said China was wrong to unilaterally seize
Vietnamese vessels and impound cargo.
    "That action by China is not correct. To fight smuggling, you should first
have a good idea that the items on that ship are being smuggled," he told
Reuters, asking not to be identified.
    Shipping agents in Hong Kong say Chinese officials have raided up to 14
ships carrying goods to Vietnam in the past five weeks, and confiscated cargos
and registration papers.
    Michael Farlie, director of the Hong Kong Ship Owners Association, said in
Hong Kong on Sunday the raids might be part of an official Chinese crackdown on
the smuggling of luxury goods into China through Vietnam's northeastern port of
Hong Gai.
    The parking area outside the Vuon Dao Hotel in Ha Long Bay, a resort town
just south of Hong Gai, was filled last weekend with brand-new Japanese cars and
Vietnamese trucks loaded with cargo.
    Local people said the cars and trucks were headed for China.
    The Hong Kong government has demanded an explanation from China of an
incident on Friday in which a Vietnamese cargo ship was boarded in Hong Kong
waters by armed men believed to be Chinese security guards.
    Vietnam's trade with China has increased rapidly since they normalised
relations last November. They had been on frosty terms since 1979, when China
launched a punitive border war against Vietnam following the latter's invasion
of Cambodia.
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