China commissions largest fishery ship in South China Sea

Beijing: China has commissioned its largest fishery patrol ship, which has a displacement of 49.5 million tonnes. "Yuzheng 312," of the fisheries administration has begun its maiden patrol in the the disputed South China Sea.

The ship, the Chinese fleet`s largest in terms of displacement, left Guangzhou and sailed to the disputed Nansha Islands in the South China Sea to carry out a law enforcement mission. The islands are also claimed by Vietnam. The vessel has a displacement of 49.5 million tonnes and a navigation capability of 2,400 nautical miles with a maximum speed of 14 knots, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Routine fishery administrative patrols around the Nansha Islands will be carried out to better safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese fishermen, a Chinese fishery official said last month. PTI