China sent its largest patrol ship to the East China Sea for its maiden voyage yesterday in a bid to guard the country's waters and marine interests there.

The 3,000-ton-class Haijian 50 will visit Rixiang Rock, Suyan Rock and the offshore oil and gas fields of Chunxiao and Pinghu, as well as China-Japan joint development zones, said Liu Zhendong, head of the East China Sea fleet of China Marine Surveillance, a paramilitary maritime law enforcement agency.

The Chinese-manufactured vessel, a heavyweight compared to the more commonly used 1,000-ton-class patrol ships, set sail from Shanghai port yesterday.

The Haijian 50 will conduct the joint patrol together with the Haijian 66, a 1,350-ton vessel deployed on March 1.

The latter has a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour. It set sail at the same time yesterday from a dock in Xiamen, capital of East China's Fujian Province.

Officially deployed on July 23, Haijian 50 is equipped with China's most advanced marine technology and is capable of accommodating China's Z9A helicopters, Liu said.

China has 32,000 kilometers of coastline. The total area of its territorial seawater, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, which is recognized under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is 3 million square kilometers.

China's 2010 Ocean Development Report released last May said the country's maritime rights and interests face safety threats, including terrorism, disputes over maritime resources and sovereignty.

Xinhua - Global Times