An angry China today lodged a diplomatic protest with South Korea and said it "resolutely opposes any radical measure" after the Korean coast guard used machine-gun fire as warning shots at Chinese fishermen.
"The Chinese fishermen's illegal operations should not be grounds for the ROK (Republic of Korea) coast guard to open fire," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
On Tuesday, the South Korea used machine-gun fire to stop two Chinese vessels, prompting about 30 other Chinese boats in the same group to swarm around and ram the coast guard vessel, according to media reports.
"China resolutely opposes any radical measure taken by the ROK that may threaten Chinese fishermen's lives," Hua said.
An official in charge of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Foreign Ministry has lodged representations with the minister of the ROK embassy in Beijing over the matter, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The long-standing fishing issue between the two countries cannot be solved overnight, Hua said.
China has made great efforts to strengthen management and discipline of its fishermen, she said, noting that the number of illegal fishing boats had decreased significantly from last year.
Hua asked South Korea to properly handle the issue, keep calm and show restraint, in the overall interest of bilateral ties.
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