South Korea and China held a meeting on fisheries cooperation on Tuesday to discuss ways to stop illegal fishing by Chinese boats in South Korean waters. 

The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said that in the meeting held in the Chinese city of Xiamen, both sides agreed that illegal fishing by Chinese vessels in South Korean waters near the western sea border decreased since the first half of last year thanks to efforts by the governments of the two nations. 

However, South Korea expressed concern over continued illegalities and violence by Chinese fishermen during a crackdown at night, asking China to take "strong and effective" measures to stop them. 

China responded that it is enhancing its crackdown on such activities mobilizing coast guard vessels, but also asked South Korean authorities to take caution to prevent any casualties during their crackdown.