Sri Lanka releases 37 Chinese fishermen

Thirty-seven Chinese fishermen detained by the Sri Lankan navy on Sunday night were not involved in illegal fishing, and the detention was a misunderstanding, Yuan Baisheng, a consul of the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka, told China Daily on Monday.

According to the embassy, the fishermen are employed by two trawlers owned by a Sri Lankan shipping company.

The fishermen have been released, the Chinese embassy confirmed on Monday.