Video footage has emerged of the maritime collision on May 26 that resulted in the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel near a Chinese oil rig planted in disputed waters off the Vietnamese coast, Reuters reported. At the time of the collision, both sides accused the other of provoking the conflict but the video appears to validate the Vietnamese account, showing a much larger Chinese vessel steaming after two Vietnamese fishing boats. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has responded that the Vietnamese had clearly initiated the confrontation and that the Chinese vessels were merely acting defensively.