BEIJING: The skipper of a Chinese fishing boat claimed yesterday that his vessel was shot at by Philippine police as 11 fishermen aboard another were seized, state media reported.
“They rushed towards us in a boat and fired at us,” He Junting, captain of the Qiongqionghai 03168, said of Tuesday’s events, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Philippine National Police official Noel Vargas denied the accusation, telling reporters: “I don’t know where they got their information. “As far as the PNP (Philippine National Police) side is concerned, we did not fire any shots.”
The allegation and denial came after Philippine police arrested the 11 fishermen in the South China Sea and impounded their ship as part of what Manila calls efforts to protect its resources and enforce its laws. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters close to the shores of its neighbours, raising tensions in the strategically vital area.
1.2m hit by China drought
Beijing: Almost 1.2 million people are facing a shortage of drinking water due to a severe drought that has hit southwest China’s Yunnan Province, authorities say.
The drought has affected about 190,000 hectares of cropland and 625,500 head of livestock, Xinhua reported citing a statement from the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.
The drought has been persistent and severe, with only 73.8mm of rainfall in the first four months in 2014, about 37 percent less than the annual average for the period.
Due to the lack of precipitation, water is no longer flowing in 102 medium and small rivers and 69 small reservoirs have dried up. The water resources department has allotted 223m yuan ($35.7m) in relief and sent equipment to dig wells and pump water to alleviate the drinking water shortage.
Agencies
