Indonesian navy fires on Chinese fishing boat in disputed waters

Most of the people living on Natuna are fishermen and farmers

China has accused the Indonesian navy of opening fire on a Chinese fishing boat in disputed fishing grounds.

China's foreign ministry said on Sunday that one fisherman was injured and several detained. The incident happened on Friday near the Natuna islands, off the coast of Borneo in the South China Sea.

The Indonesian navy said earlier it had fired shots at several boats with Chinese flags, but said there had been no injuries. It is unclear whether the fishermen are still being detained by Indonesian authorities.

China claims most of the South China Sea, where it is building islands and extending its infrastructure, and there are often flare-ups with regional neighbours with competing claims.


Unlike other South East Asian countries, Indonesia is not involved in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. China accepts the Natuna islands and the seas around them belong to Indonesia, but the two sides have confronted one another there before, typically over illegal fishing.