US Coast Guard says boardings of Chinese fishing vessels in South Pacific legal

10/4/2024 11:59

        The U.S. Coast Guard has rejected comments by a Chinese diplomat that its recent boardings of Chinese fishing boats in the Pacific Islands alongside local police are illegal, saying the joint patrols are at the behest of Pacific nations to protect coastal fisheries.
        
        Reuters reported last month that six Chinese fishing boats were found to be violating Vanuatu's fisheries law after being inspected by local police who were on board the first U.S. Coast Guard boat to patrol the waters of the Pacific Islands nation.
        
        The U.S. Coast Guard and Kiribati police also boarded two Chinese fishing boats during a patrol in February, the first joint patrol in a decade, but found no issues aboard.
        
        China's Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said in a letter circulated by the Chinese embassy on Friday the use of shiprider agreements between the U.S. and Vanuatu, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea to "carry out law enforcement activities against China's fishing vessels" was a violation of international law.
        
        In the letter, Wang claimed the agreements are not binding on China's fishing fleet.