Vietnam has protested to China over an alleged attack on a Vietnamese fishing boat near the contested Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, resulting in injuries to ten crew members. The Vietnamese foreign ministry claimed that Chinese forces attacked the fishermen, confiscating their equipment, and demanded an investigation and cessation of such actions. Reports indicate that the attackers, believed to be from Chinese-flagged vessels, used iron bars and caused significant injuries and theft. China, however, denied any misconduct, asserting that Vietnamese boats were fishing illegally and that their law enforcement actions were professional. The incident adds to ongoing tensions over territorial claims in the resource-rich South China Sea, a region claimed by multiple countries including China, Vietnam, and Taiwan.