Cross-province patrol begins in South China Sea

5-day mission seeks to strengthen region's maritime law enforcement

China is strengthening its offshore law enforcement capacity, with three provinces and one autonomous region launching their first joint patrol in the South China Sea on Wednesday.

The five-day patrol fleet consists of ships from the maritime safety administrations of Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan. Haixun 31, one of China's largest patrol ships, is also part of the fleet.