Sea patrol protects sovereign south

Maritime patrol ships from three Chinese provinces and one region launched a five-day joint patrol Wednesday in the South China Sea in an effort to safeguard the country's sovereignty and enhance joint law enforcement, said an official from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The joint patrol by maritime authorities of Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian and Guangxi, which has been planned for almost a year, is the largest this year, Xu Biyuan, director with the press office of the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, told the Global Times.

The patrol fleet, led by the 3,000-ton patrol vessel Haixun 31, departed Fangchenggang in Guangxi Wednesday and will sail 500 nautical miles through coastal waters around the Qiongzhou Strait, Leizhou Peninsula and to other ports, Xu added.

Apart from inspecting fishing in the South China Sea, the ships will observe the sea around the border between China and Vietnam and conduct research on the maritime environment, said Xu, adding that the patrol is being made to show the nation's resolve in safeguarding its maritime sovereignty.

In addition to Haixun 31, China currently has another 3,000-ton patrol vessel, Haixun 11, to conduct maritime inspection, salvage and maintain maritime traffic, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

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