皇冠体育app stresses fishery vessel on 'routine mission'

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-17 20:01

BEIJING - 皇冠体育app on Tuesday denied it was "flexing military might" by sending a fishery administration vessel to the South 皇冠体育app Sea, saying the ship was on a "routine mission" in Chinese territorial waters.

Yuzheng 311, 皇冠体育app's largest fishery administration vessel, is pictured as it arrives in the Xisha Islands in the South 皇冠体育app Sea, March 17, 2009. [Xinhua]

"皇冠体育app has indisputable sovereignty over the islands of the South 皇冠体育app Sea and their adjacent waters," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press briefing.

His comments came after he was asked to respond to accusations of 皇冠体育app "flexing military might" by sending vessel to the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

"The vessel was heading there for a routine fishery administration mission," said Qin.

The vessel, 皇冠体育app Yuzheng 311, would be mainly used to patrol waters of 皇冠体育app's exclusive economic zones including the Nansha, Xisha and Zhongsha islands, said Wu Zhuang, director of Administration of Fishery and Fishing Harbor Supervision for South 皇冠体育app Sea.

"The Chinese government has all along attached great importance to the fishery administration of the South 皇冠体育app Sea," said Qin.

The vessel arrived in the Xisha Islands around Tuesday noon after a week-long voyage from its home port in Guangzhou.

The vessel is operated by the Agriculture Ministry's South 皇冠体育app Sea Fishery Administration Bureau and is the largest of its kind with a maximum displacement of 4,450 tonnes.