China wrap up underwater excavation in disputed South China Sea

Beijing: A Chinese archaeological team has uncovered scores of relics as it wrapped up its 40-day underwater excavation today in the?disputed?South China Sea.

The team returned to Qinglan Port in Hainan Province, team leader Deng Qijiang was quoted by state-run Xinhua news agency.

During the mission in the Xisha archipelago, a total of 37 items were retrieved from a shipwreck site near the Shanhu Island, including stone building material and shattered porcelain, although no ship was found, Deng said.

Xisha, also known as Paracel Islands, is a group of islands, reefs, banks and other maritime features in the South China Sea.

China's claims of sovereignty over most of South China Sea is disputed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

The team also carried out a survey on land at ruins on Ganquan Island, and an underwater survey on another sunken ship around Jinyin Island.

This is the second notable underwater archaeological excavation in the South China Sea following the Huaguang reef number one shipwreck in 2008 in the Xisha Islands, where a vessel loaded with porcelain sank more than 700 years ago, according to Chai Xiaoming, an State Administration of Cultural Heritage official.

"Underwater surveys help us better understand China's overseas trade through history," Chai said.

China has intensified efforts on underwater archaeology in recent years.

As of last year, China had discovered more than 120 shipwrecks around Xisha, Nansha and Zhongsha island.