Safeguarding sovereignty

By pledging that the country will continue to carry out regular patrols in its territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands and in the South China Sea, the State Oceanic Administration, which is responsible for overseeing and safeguarding national maritime rights and interests, has sent an unmistakable message to the outside world that the country will step up its efforts to safeguard its maritime sovereignty and oppose any infringements on its sovereignty over territorial waters.

Addressing a national conference on maritime work on Thursday, Liu Cigui, director of the administration, said the complicated situation the country is facing today has prompted the administration to take more responsibility for steadfastly maintaining the country's maritime rights and interests.

Indeed, in recent years, countries like Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam have not only lodged unwarranted claims over China's territorial waters and islands in the East China Sea and the South China Sea but also launched one farce after another to raise the temperature in these waters.

To further complicate the situation, they have also tried to enlist support from countries outside the region for their ill-grounded claims. Their reckless moves have brought more risks and challenges to China's security environment and prompted China to respond and react in a timely and effective manner.

In these circumstances, the country's marine surveillance forces are looked upon to play a bigger role. Hence, there is a pressing need for China to improve its marine surveillance capability and make it a priority in its national strategy.

The State Oceanic Administration also announced that China will repair damaged territorial sea base points, complete a maritime name list of the waters off the South China Sea, and carry out research on the demarcation of the 200-nautical miles outer continental shelf. These significant moves will provide the basis for the country's maritime law enforcement and marine development.

In the last four months, Chinese vessels and planes have regularly patrolled the territorial waters off the Diaoyu Islands. Marine surveillance ships in the South China Sea rescued fishermen being harassed by a Filipino warship in April.

Carrying out regular patrols over China's territorial islands and waters in the East China Sea and the South China Sea is a normal performance of duty for China to exercise its jurisdiction. No noise from the outside should detract the country from its determined efforts to defend its maritime sovereignty and interests.

(China Daily 01/11/2013 page8)