Cross-province patrol begins in South China Sea

5-day mission seeks to strengthen region's maritime law enforcement

China is strengthening its offshore law enforcement capacity, with three provinces and one autonomous region launching their first joint patrol in the South China Sea on Wednesday.

The five-day patrol fleet consists of ships from the maritime safety administrations of Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan. Haixun 31, one of China's largest patrol ships, is also part of the fleet.

An official surnamed Song from the Maritime Safety Administration said the cross-province patrol will become a regular occurrence to enhance the offshore supervision capacity, but revealed no details about future patrol plans.

At present, the Maritime Safety Administration will arrange two or three patrols in the South China Sea aimed at preventing illegal activities including discharging excessive pollutants into the sea.

Shen Chunsheng, deputy director of the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, said the joint patrol is expected to travel nearly 1,000 km to detect pollution discharged by ships.

The joint patrol will strengthen law enforcement capacity in the South China Sea to guarantee maritime safety, Shen added.

The maritime safety administrations of three provinces and one autonomous region - Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan - launch their first joint patrol in the South China Sea on Wednesday. Haixun 31, one of China's largest patrol ships, is part of the five-day patrol fleet. [Photo/Xinhua]