Ocean watchdog builds more patrol ships

China’s ocean watchdog is accelerating construction of 20 coastal patrol ships this year with a new purchasing plan for large and advanced patrol planes and ships underway, Liu Cigui, director of the State Oceanic Administration, said on Thursday.

China is beefing up its maritime law enforcement capacity with its personnel expected to increase to 16,300 in the recently-established China Maritime Police Bureau, according to the SOA’s restructure plan unveiled in July.

The bureau will unify multiple maritime forces, including China Maritime Surveillance, the coast guard forces of the Ministry of Public Security, the fisheries law enforcement command of the Ministry of Agriculture and the maritime anti-smuggling authorities of the General Administration of Customs.

China Maritime Surveillance carried out 36 patrol voyages and 402 flights in 2013, to protect the country’s maritime rights and interests, according to the latest statistics released by the SOA.

The figures showed the patrol fleet in the East China and South China Seas monitored 188 foreign ships and 21 foreign planes in 2013.

The patrol fleets patrolled the country’s waters for 262 days last year and entered the waters around Diaoyu Islands 50 times to protect China’s maritime rights.

The country’s marine economy is experiencing steady growth and its output reached 5.4 trillion yuan ($893 billion) in 2013, an increase of 7.9 percent year-on-year.