Chinese officials will board, seize ships in disputed waters
Beginning January 1, Chinese police will board and seize control of foreign ships which enter waters that are the center of a territorial dispute between multiple Asian nations.
A China Marine Surveillance ship, bottom, and a Japan Coast Guard ship steam side by side near disputed islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, in the East China Sea Nov. 20. China is defending its increasingly assertive patrolling near the islands controlled by Japan, as tensions in the area continue to run high.
Kyodo News/AP/File
Beijing
Police in the southern Chinese island province of聽聽will board and search ships which enter into what聽聽considers its territorial waters in the disputed聽聽Sea, state media said on Thursday, a move which could raise tensions further.
罢丑别听聽Sea is聽's biggest potential military trouble spot with several Asian countries claiming sovereignty.
New rules, which come into effect on January 1, will allow聽聽to board and seize control of foreign ships which "illegally enter" Chinese waters and order them to change course or stop sailing, the official聽听谤别辫辞谤迟别诲.
"Activities such as entering the island province's waters without permission, damaging coastal defence facilities and engaging in publicity that threatens national security are illegal," the English-language newspaper said.
"If foreign ships or crew members violate regulations,听聽have the right to take over the ships or their communication systems, under the revised regulations," it added.
's assertion of sovereignty over the stretch of water off its south coast and to the east of mainland聽聽has set it directly against聽聽and the聽, while聽,听听补苍诲听聽also lay claim to parts.
聽occasionally detains fishermen, mostly from聽, who it accuses of operating illegally in Chinese waters, though generally frees them quite quickly.
, which likes to style itself as聽's answer to聽听辞谤听聽with its resorts and beaches, is the province responsible for administering the country's extensive claims to the myriad islets and atolls in the聽听厂别补.
The newspaper said that the government will also send new maritime surveillance ships to join the fleet responsible for patrolling the聽聽Sea, believed to be rich in oil and gas and straddling shipping lanes between聽听补苍诲听聽and the聽.
The stakes have risen in the area as the U.S. military shifts its attention and resources back to聽, emboldening its long-time ally the聽聽and former foe聽聽to take a tougher stance against聽.
聽has further angered the聽听补苍诲听聽by issuing new passports showing a map depicting聽's claims to the disputed waters.