China Central Television (CCTV) reported that the accident happened around 3 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
He added that the crew includes 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and 5 Filipinos.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang have ordered Chinese diplomats overseas, as well as the agriculture and transport ministries, to help search for survivors.
Chinese media did not specify the exact location of the sinking and only said the accident happened in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
The Philippine Coast Guard command center said Wednesday it was closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Chinese Embassy in Manila and search and rescue teams operating near the ship’s last known location.
The “Lupenglaiyuanyu 8” is based in eastern China’s coastal province of Shandong and operated by Penglai Yingyu Co., Ltd., according to Chinese reports.
China is believed to operate the largest fishing fleet in the world, many vessels remain at sea for months or even years, backed by Chinese government maritime security agencies and an extensive network of support vessels .
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