China sends maritime patrol vessel 'Haixun 21' to Sansha

（Xinhua）  16:40, January 17, 2013  

Edited and translated by Zhang Qian, People's Daily Online.

Key Words:maritime patrol vessel; Sansha; Haixun 21; China

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China's marine patrol ship "Haixun 21" has set sail from Haikou on its first voyage and is headed to the waters around Sansha city.

On Wednesday morning, it arrived in the Xisha Islands, and conducted an initial inspection of ship operations and the marine environment.

"Haixun 21" is on its maiden voyage. It will pass by Yongxing Island, East Island, the Langhua reef and Chenhang Island in the South China Sea, before eventually returning to the port in Sanya. The voyage will cover a total of about 600 nautical miles.

16 joint law enforcement personnel from three maritime departments are aboard the ship. Despite bad sea conditions, the crew is pushing ahead with its travel plans.

Zhang Jie, Spokesman of Hainan Maritime Bureau, said, "The main task of this voyage is to test the vessel’s navigation and beacon systems, as well as check on other Chinese fishing boats operating in these waters. All these factors will affect the vessel’s safety."