MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina sinks Chinese jigger which refused to stop and even tried to ram the patrol vessel

In a high-seas chase, a coast guard vessel pursued the Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 jigger which refused to stop despite warning shots across the Chinese boat's bow

Argentina's coast guard has sunk a Chinese flagged jigger that was fishing illegally within its territorial waters, the coast guard said on Tuesday, marking a first test for relations between President Mauricio Macri and Beijing.In a high-seas chase, a coast guard vessel pursued the fishing vessel Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 toward international waters, firing warning shots across the Chinese boat's bow as it attempted to raise the crew by radio.

A video posted on the coast guard's website showed the boat slowly listing in the open sea after coming under fire. The boat was detected off Puerto Madryn, 1,300 kilometres south of Buenos Aires.

It tried to flee into international waters when the coast guard ordered it to stop, then repeatedly manoeuvred to collide with the patrol ship, authorities said.

“On several occasions, the offending ship performed manoeuvres designed to force a collision with the coast guard, putting at risk not only its own crew but coast guard personnel, who were then ordered to shoot parts of the vessel,” the coast guard said in a statement.

Coast guards using radar picked up the trawler fishing off the coast of Puerto Madryn, Chubut province, a zone known for squid. Shots were fired into the hull of the Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 after it ignored radio calls to allow the Argentine coast guard to board and repeated warning fire.

The crew abandoned ship when the vessel began to go down. Four crewmen were rescued by the coast guard while others were picked up by another Chinese vessel shadowing the pursuit. It was not clear if the vessel sank on Monday or Tuesday.

This is the second incident in less than two weeks. In early March another Chinese flagged jigger, Hue Li 8 was caught red/handed by the Coast Guard operating inside Argentina's EEZ. The jigger despite several radio messages and later warning shots, headed for international waters, taking refuge in neighbouring Uruguayan waters, according to the Argentine Coast Guard hot pursuit.

Uruguay alleges they tried to arrest the Hue Li 8 but the jigger managed continued sailing to international waters.

President Macri's government, which took office in December, will likely be keen to avoid a diplomatic incident with China which has gained a strong foothold in South America, and particularly in Argentina.

Relations between Argentina and China tightened under former populist leader Cristina Fernandez.

While Mr Macri promised during last year's presidential race to review all new contracts with China, he has shown no sign of doing so. Among those deals were an agreement to finance and build two nuclear power plants in Argentina in a deal worth up to US$15 billion.

A spokesman for Argentina's foreign ministry said the judiciary was investigating the incident.

China has the world's largest distant water fishing fleet, with more than 2,000 vessels, the not-for-profit group Stop Illegal Fishing said last year.