VIETNAM and China traded accusations today over who was the aggressor in a clash that led to the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea.

Hanoi accused a Chinese vessel of ramming the wooden Vietnamese boat on Monday then fleeing the scene.

But Beijing insisted the Vietnamese boat had been trying to get close to the oil rig, rammed into one of its vessels and then sank. The crew was rescued.

The clash occurred 18 miles from the large oil rig that China deployed on May 1 in waters claimed by both nations.

Incidents between fishing crews are common but Monday’s incident was the first time a Vietnamese boat had been sunk, said Tran Van Linh, president of the Fisheries Association in Danang.

“I call this attempted murder because the Chinese sank a Vietnamese fishing boat and then ran away,” Mr Tran said.

“We vehemently protest this perverse, brutal and inhumane action.”