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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian maritime authorities said on Saturday (October 10) that they had detained 60 Chinese nationals and six fishing vessels registered in China that they said were invading the waters of the Southeast Asian country.
Malaysia reported 89 intrusions by Chinese coastguards and navy ships between 2016 and 2019, amid escalating tensions between the United States and China over Beijing’s claims over most of the resource-rich South China Sea, which it is also an important trade route.
Malaysia’s Maritime Control Agency (MMEA) said the fishing boats and crew were detained in an operation off the coast of the southern state of Johor on Friday.
“Further checks found that all ships registered in Qinhuangdoa, China, were manned by six captains and 54 crew members who are Chinese citizens between the ages of 31 and 60,” MMEA regional director Mohd Zulfadli Nayan said in a statement.
The MMEA said the ships, which were unloaded when stopped, were believed to be en route to Mauritania but had to stop due to a malfunction.
Earlier this year, a Chinese research ship spent a month inspecting Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone, amid a clash with a Malaysian oil exploration ship near disputed waters.
