Chinese police plan to board ships in disputed seas
2012-11-29 06:39:51
Police in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan will board and
search ships which enter into what China considers its territorial waters in the
disputed South China Sea, state media said on Thursday, a move which could raise
tensions further.
The South China Sea is Asia's biggest potential military trouble spot with
several Asian countries claiming sovereignty.
New rules, which come into effect on January 1, will allow Hainan police to
board and seize control of foreign ships which "illegally enter" Chinese waters
and order them to change course or stop sailing, the official China Daily
reported.
"Activities such as entering the island province's waters without permission,
damaging coastal defense facilities and engaging in publicity that threatens
national security are illegal," the English-language newspaper said.
"If foreign ships or crew members violate regulations, Hainan police have the
right to take over the ships or their communication systems, under the revised
regulations," it added.
China's assertion of sovereignty over the stretch of water off its south coast
and to the east of mainland Southeast Asia has set it directly against Vietnam
and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to parts.
China occasionally detains fishermen, mostly from Vietnam, who it accuses of
operating illegally in Chinese waters, though generally frees them quite
quickly.
Hainan, which likes to style itself as China's answer to Hawaii or Bali with its
resorts and beaches, is the province responsible for administering the country's
extensive claims to the myriad islets and atolls in the South China Sea.
The newspaper said that the government will also send new maritime surveillance
ships to join the fleet responsible for patrolling the South China Sea, believed
to be rich in oil and gas and straddling shipping lanes between East Asia and
Europe and the Middle East.
The stakes have risen in the area as the U.S. military shifts its attention and
resources back to Asia, emboldening its long-time ally the Philippines and
former foe Vietnam to take a tougher stance against Beijing.
China has further angered the Philippines and Vietnam by issuing new passports
showing a map depicting China's claims to the disputed waters.
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