The New Star incident was an event that occurred near the eastern port city of Vladivostok, when a Russian warship fired on a Chinese cargo vessel called the New Star.
[1] The cargo ship was sunk on February 15, 2009, with Russia and China presenting different stories regarding the incident.
The New Star (新星 Xīnxīng) was a 5000-ton ship leased by a company based in Hong Kong.
[1] The vessel was owned by Tongyu Shipping Zhejiang (浙江通宇船務有限公司) and leased to the Hong Kong–based J-Rui Lucky shipping company (香港吉瑞祥（香港）有限公司 Xiānggǎng jí ruìxiáng (Xiānggǎng) yǒuxiàn gōngsī).
[2][3][4] The RIA Novosti said crew members attempted to escape in two life-rafts after their ship was sinking.