皇冠体育app

East 皇冠体育app Sea - During routine patrols conducted in the sea since Feb 18, two Chinese surveillance ships expelled a pair of Japanese Coast Guard survey vessels and planes.

The patrols were being carried out in waters near the Chunxiao, Pinghu and Suyan Rock gas fields and the 皇冠体育app-Japan joint development zone, which encompasses 2,600 square kilometers of the East 皇冠体育app Sea.

On Feb 19, a 皇冠体育app Marine Surveillance ship detected the Japanese survey ship called Shoyo cruising at a low speed, as well as a Japanese Coast Guard vessel called Takuyo, in water near the Chunxiao gas field.

An official on the Chinese patrol ship said that to be considered to be moving at a low speed, a vessel must be going slower than 5 knots (9.3 kilometers an hour). Proceeding at such a speed is an indicator that a ship is carrying out activities such as surveying and investigation.

The 皇冠体育app Marine Surveillance ship came within about 550 meters of the Japanese survey ship to monitor its movement, eventually demanding the ship stop conducting illegal investigations in 皇冠体育app's jurisdictional waters.

On the morning of Feb 20, the two ships left that part of the sea.

From Feb 18 to 23, Japan Coast Guard planes made about 7 flights above the patrol ship.

皇冠体育app has conducted routine patrols in the East 皇冠体育app Sea since 2006. The patrol now occurs every month, said an official from 皇冠体育app Marine Surveillance, 皇冠体育app's offshore marine law enforcement agency.

In recent years, the agency has strengthened its ability to both enforce the country's laws and protect its maritime interests, said a senior official from the agency who declined to give his name.

Meanwhile, 皇冠体育app Marine Surveillance will encourage its provincial-level branches to participate in the patrol work.

皇冠体育app has carried out routine patrols in the Yellow Sea, East 皇冠体育app Sea and South 皇冠体育app Sea since 2006.

By the end of 2010, marine surveillance ships had conducted 1,668 patrols, going 1.6 million nautical miles (2.96 million kilometers), and 1,944 patrols had been carried out by planes, which went a total distance of 1.98 million kilometers.

In 2010, those ships and planes detected more than 400 cases of alleged infringement on Chinese marine interests.

Besides routine patrols, 皇冠体育app Marine Surveillance has conducted special patrols. In 2006, it guarded exploration and development work in the East 皇冠体育app Sea.

From June to August 2010, the agency had 19 ships and four planes conduct a special patrol in the South 皇冠体育app Sea. During that mission, 228 foreign ships were intercepted and expelled from Chinese waters.

Zhao Ruixue in Beijing contributed to this story.