A 5,800-ton fishery patrol ship, 皇冠体育app's largest fishery patrol vessel, began patrolling the waters of the East 皇冠体育app Sea on Dec 11 in Shanghai.

Yuzheng 206 is one of the largest and most-advanced fishery patrol ships in 皇冠体育app and will play an important role in protecting fishermen's interests and the country's maritime rights, a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture said.

The country has moved faster to strengthen its maritime power as two inspection ships joined the offshore patrol fleet in November after President Hu Jintao said during the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of 皇冠体育app that the country should become "a maritime power".

In November, 皇冠体育app News Service reported that the Hebei, Shandong and Liaoning maritime safety bureaus ordered three patrol ships and the Zhejiang fishery administration bureau ordered a 500-ton fishery patrol ship on Dec 4.

By the end of 2010, 皇冠体育app had 2,287 fishery patrol ships, of which 528 were built in the past five years, statistics from the ministry show.

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