The crew of a Chinese patrol ship has arrested six Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea for allegedly entering China's territory.

This is the latest issue that has cropped up in the last two months over a territorial spat between China and Vietnam. The detainment risks a further breakdown of the crumbling ties between the neighboring countries, Reuters explained.

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The incident occurred in disputed waters 56 kilometers (35 miles) from the coast of China's Hainan Island, according to Vietnamese officials. China's Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, said the six fishermen were working illegally in Chinese territory seven nautical miles from the said island.

Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China is still investigating the matter but will require Vietnam to educate and discipline their fishermen so that the incident will not happen again.

China had triggered the anger of many Vietnamese when it deployed an oil rig 240 kilometers from Vietnam's coast in disputed waters. The two Communist countries have been in a tussle for decades over ownership of the Paracel Islands.

Hanoi had launched coastal patrol ships to try to send the oil rig away, but the latter is protected by a massive fleet of Chinese vessels, according to an Associated Press report cited by ABC News. Vietnamese officials said dozens of their ships have been damaged in a collision with the bigger and stronger Chinese ships.

On Thursday, Vietnam announced its plan to shell out $540 million to add 32 new coast guard and patrol vessels to beef up its maritime and surveillance forces. Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Hai Binh also said they are considering taking legal steps to address the spat with China.

China claims ownership of the majority of the South China Sea. However, the claims have been met by strong opposition from its neighboring countries including Brunei, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

The territorial disputes with China have prompted Japan and the Philippines to increase their budget for military hardware.

TagsChina-Vietnam relations, territorial disputes, territorial breach