The incident happened Saturday as Indonesian surveillance vessels tried to detain the trawler suspected of operating illegally near Indonesian islands in the South China Sea.After stopping the boat and removing eight crew members, the Indonesians were towing the vessel to shore when the Chinese coastguard appeared and rammed into the detained boat, helping to release it.
However, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying insisted Monday that the area near Indonesia's Natuna Islands was a "traditional Chinese fishing ground", and that the Chinese boat had to be rescued by coastguards after facing harassment from an Indonesian vessel.
Indonesia does not have overlapping territorial claims with China in the South China Sea, unlike other Asian nations. But it objects to China's "nine-dash line" defining its claims since this overlaps Indonesia's exclusive economic zone around the Natunas.
The Natunas are a string of islands rich in fish on the far northwest fringe of the archipelago.
Indonesia in 2014 launched a tough crackdown on illegal fishing which involves sinking foreign vessels caught fishing without a permit after impounding the boats and removing the crews.