A: The relevant Chinese company has been carrying out exploration operations in waters off the Xisha Islands for a decade. All the activities, including this time's drilling operation are within the indisputable coastal waters of China. These activities are justifiable, legitimate and completely normal. According to the information released by the relevant company, the drilling rig has moved on to another site for the second phase of operation as planned, which is also part of the overall plan for this time's drilling operation. This drilling operation which started on May 2 is planned to end by mid August.

Q: Yesterday afternoon, there was a collision between the Chinese fishing ship and the Vietnamese fishing ship. Can you give us more details? Will China consider economic retaliation against Vietnam?

A: It is to our knowledge that yesterday afternoon, in the waters off China's Xisha Islands, a Vietnamese fishing ship broke into the cordoned-off area of China's drilling rig 981, and capsized after ramming into the rear port side of a Chinese fishing ship that was operating nearby. All the crews aboard the Vietnamese ship have been rescued.

It is worth pointing out that the direct reason for this incident is that in spite of the repeated representations, warnings and dissuasions from the Chinese side, the Vietnamese side continues to forcefully disrupt the normal drilling operations of the Chinese company and take dangerous actions. We urge the Vietnamese side once again to respect China's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, stop immediately their disruptive and damaging activities, especially those dangerous actions at sea, and take concrete steps to safeguard navigation security and production order of the fishing industry.

What has happened shows that Vietnam' unjustified and illegal disruption and destruction of China's normal operations can lead them nowhere. They will only end up harming their own interests. The Xisha Islands are China's inherent territory. There is no dispute about that. We urge the Vietnamese side to refrain from further harassment, bear in mind the big picture of bilateral relations and regional stability, and stop disrupting and sabotaging China's normal operations. As to how the situation will evolve and what response will China give, it all depends on what the Vietnamese side does.