China's Newest And Deadly Warship Has Entered The South China Sea

Dec 31, 2012- As five other countries claim ownership of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, and its supposed billions of oil and gas deposits, China's backing its claim by sending the newest warship it has to the region.

Type 054A warship

The Taiwan owned China Times reports the Liuzhou Type 054A warship entered the South China Sea Fleet of China's PLA Navy, making it the sixth 054 warship in the area.
Though the Type 054A is not a new design, this most recently commissioned vessel will have the latest technological advantages.

From China Times:

Liuzhou is currently considered one of China's most advanced surface combat Type 054A vessels. It has a stealthy hull design with sloped surfaces and radar absorbent materials. Equipped with a medium-range air defense missile system, the vessel is capable of destroying air targets at a distance up to 50 km. Although it is not as lethal as the Russian-built Sovremenny class and domestic destroyers, the new frigate still serves well as a multi-role warship in the Chinese fleet.

Among all 16 frigates in the same class and currently in the service of the PLA Navy, Liuzhou is the newest addition. Since Liuzhou is commanded by the South Sea Fleet, which is based in Zhanjiang of Guangdong province, analysts believe that its primary mission is to protect Chinese interests in the disputed South China Sea. The mainland and five other countries — Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei — have competing claims to the region's islands and atolls.

The Liuzhou's deployment comes days after the U.S. vowed to increase its military presence in the Philippines and China's ensuing outrage over the decision.
The warship carries an array of sophisticated weapons including anti-submarine ordnance and stealth features allowing it to evade radar and move undetected.

Type 054A Deck Gun

Enter the Wulung: Indonesia’s First Operational UAV

Dec 31, 2012- The Wulung, a UAV developed by the Agency for Development and Application of Technology (BPPT) is set to be operational by 2013 after the locally developed UAV has successfully undergone a series of tests at Halim Perdanakusuma AB on October 2012.

The UAV will be used aerial imagery as well as for aerial fire fighting. With flying endurance of 4 hours, the UAV also find its role in rainmaking operation. In order to do so, the UAV could be fitted with specialised pylon to launch the canisters containing chemicals to put off the fire or for cloud seeding.

To date, 5 examples have been built by BPPT. The UAV could travel up to 70 kilometers with speed between 52 to 69 knots. The Wulung could fly at a height of 12,000 feet although it has only being tested up until 8,000 feet.

The Jakarta Post

Thai air force plans upgrades to radar system

Dec 21, 2012- Thai air force will improve its radar-based defence system next year and link it to the army and navy for joint missions.

Thai air force Gripen fighter jet

It intends to replace ageing radars and support facilities with new systems to search for airborne targets under the Royal Thai Air Force Defence System (RTAD), said air force chief Prajin Jantong.

The air force will be able to communicate with the navy's frigates _ HTMS Naresuan and HTMS Taksin _ and the navy's aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet.

The communications facilities of these vessels are being upgraded, a military source said.

Earlier, the air force bought 12 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden along with two Saab 340 AEW early warning aircraft and a Saab 340 transport plane for 34 billion baht.

Linking the air force with the navy will enable joint operations in the future, the source said.

Connections will also be expanded to the army under the air force's "Network Centric" plan to link the systems of the three armed forces. The plan will be completed in 2014, the source said.

Meanwhile, ACM Prajin also wants the air force's new communications facilities to be applied to disaster response efforts _ a goal backed by Asean defence ministers who have agreed to work in concert in the field of regional disaster relief in the lead-up to the Asean Economic Community in 2015.

Bangkok Post

China adds destroyers to marine surveillance

Dec 31, 2012- BEIJING: China has transferred two destroyers and nine other ex-navy vessels to its maritime surveillance fleet, reports said Monday, as it moves to beef up its position in bitter territorial rows with Japan and other neighbours.

Type 052B

Beijing renovated the ships and transferred them to surveillance operations to "alleviate the insufficiency of vessels used to protect maritime interests", said a report on Tencent, one of China's major news portals.

China is embroiled in a maritime dispute with Japan that has seen tensions between the two Asian giants, the world's second- and third-largest economies, at times reach fever pitch.

It is also engaged in a simmering row with its southern neighbours over its claim to vast swathes of the South China Sea.

Beijing has been sending maritime patrol vessels into waters around the East China Sea islands it claims as Diaoyu, which Japan controls and calls Senkaku, since Tokyo nationalised the chain in September.

China is apparently seeking to prove it can come and go in the area at will and on Monday a pair of Beijing's ships were spotted in the waters, according to Japan's coastguard, in the latest perceived incursion.

Two of Beijing's newly-refurbished vessels are destroyers, with one each to operate in the East and South China Seas, with the others including tugs, icebreakers and survey ships, according to the Tencent report.

It was not clear whether it was the first time the maritime surveillance fleet has acquired destroyers, or when the transfers took place.

The report was first published in the International Herald Leader, a Chinese-language newspaper linked to Beijing's official news agency Xinhua, and the author said the operation had been given significantly more capacity.

"The maritime surveillance team's power has been greatly strengthened and its capacity to execute missions sharply improved, providing a fundamental guarantee for completing the currently arduous task to protect maritime interests," wrote Yu Zhirong, of the government's Research Centre for Chinese Marine Development.

Since 2000 the maritime surveillance fleet, which is tasked with "protecting China's interests and executing law enforcement missions", has also received a total of 13 new vessels, the report said.

Daily patrols have been stepped up from six vessels before the disputes heated up to "more than 10" Yu said, adding authorities planned to build another 36 surveillance ships by 2015.

A Chinese plane overflew the islands in the East China Sea earlier this month, in what Japan said was the first time Beijing had breached its airspace since at least 1958. Tokyo scrambled fighter jets in response.

Yu added in the report: "I believe Chinese maritime surveillance authorities will build and buy many ships and planes in the future with strong capabilities and advanced equipment."

The Economic Times

China to Invest $1.6 Billion on Disputed Islands, Herald Reports

Dec 31, 2012- China plans to spend more than $1 billion building an airport, piers and other infrastructure on islands at the center of a territorial dispute with Vietnam and the Philippines, the 21st Century Business Herald reported.

Phu Lam (Yongxing) Island belongs to Vietnam

The central government approved plans to invest 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) in infrastructure for areas administered by the city of "Sansha", the newspaper reported today, citing Jiang Dingzhi, governor of Hainan province, which holds jurisdiction over the city. China set up Sansha in June to oversee the Paracel and Spratly islands, parts of which are also occupied or claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

Tensions between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea have spurred concern that competing territorial claims will disrupt economic relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the group’s largest trading partner. A dispute over control of the Diaoyu, or Senkaku, islands in the East China Sea is also weighing on trade between China and Japan.

The funds for Sansha will also be spent on marine law enforcement and ocean fisheries, according to the 21st Century Herald, which is based in the southern city of Guangzhou. Construction of some facilities has already started, the newspaper reported, without giving more detail.

Vietnam Ousted

Sansha is located on Yongxing, the largest island in the Paracels, with an area of 2.1 square kilometers (0.8 square miles). China ousted Vietnam from the 30 islets and reefs that comprise the Paracels, known as Xisha in China and Hoang Sa in Vietnam, in a 1974 battle that killed 71 soldiers.

“Sansha’s immediate work is for airports, ports, piers and other important infrastructure, as well as law enforcement vessels, supply ships and other projects to be established,” Hainan Governor Jiang was quoted as saying by the newspaper. “In the long term, we need to implement a platform for Sansha’s development.”

Bloomberg

VPA Cuu Long corps lives firing exsrcise

Dec 31, 2012- A series of earth-shattering explosions accompanied by smoke and fire everywhere covering the National Shooting Region III in live firing exercises of the Cuu Long Corps, a branch of Vietnam People's Army (VPA).

The air force, artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, tanks unite to synergistic combat, close to destroy all enemy targets.

The exercise took place in South Vietnam near Hochiminh City.

Soldiers are landing from helicopters

SU-30 fighter jet joins drill..

... and bombs the targets.

Su-22 launches rockets.

Bombs hit the targets

BM21 artillery lives fire

Tanks in operation

Tank opens fire

SKZ team opens fire to suppresses the enemy fire

VSAT satellite communication vehicles in the exercise.

Three possible scenarios in South China Sea

Dec 31, 2012- The dispute in the South China Sea; the prospect of a major military confrontation or its peaceful resolution, has been an important issue throughout the past year.

Vietnam warships in East Vietnam Sea.

With 2013 around the corner, it is a good time to explore the possible future scenarios for the situation in that area.

The projection of the future of the South China Sea is structured along six key determinants of stability. The six drivers are first, the presence of a hegemonic power that has the capacity and incentive to create a stable order, second, the equal distribution of military power and avoidance of overly aggressive behavior, third, the adherence to international norms of peaceful settlement of disputes, fourth, a preference to maintain international economic ties and development, fifth, the presence of institutions to regularize dialogue and cooperation, and sixth, united domestic entities that prefer win-win and peaceful solutions.

So, what does the future hold for the South China Sea? Do the six factors correspond to the current situation? There are three possible scenarios; the apocalypse scenario, the dream scenario and the status-quo scenario.

The apocalypse, or worst possible case, scenario would be one in which the conflict among the disputants erupts and involves the US. The major military confrontation would stem from the inability of the US to maintain neutrality in the dispute, or the total withdrawal of the US from the region, a complete breakdown of regional talks, dismissal of international norms and narrow calculation by the disputants.

The dream scenario refers to a situation in which the territorial claims are completely and peacefully resolved, and a win-win
solution is produced. For convergence to occur, the claimants would have to take pragmatic stances and the six factors would have to be in place.

In the status-quo scenario, which is the most likely scenario for the next 10 years, the claimants adopt half-hearted attitudes to resolving the territorial claims and maintaining stability.

The current information suggests that a major conflict will not take place. Military analysts at IHS Jane’s say that Southeast Asian countries, including the claimants, together increased defense spending by 13.5 percent last year, to US$24.5 billion. The figure is projected to rise to $40 billion by 2016. This will prevent China from forcefully pressuring other claimants or occupying the territory that it claims.

The other stabilizing factor is the US. The US pivot to Asia Pacific since 2009 includes the commitment to keep all claimants in check since this area has a high strategic and economic value. Nearly a third of the world’s maritime shipping traverse this area.

An encouraging sign has come from China’s next leader Xi Jinping. In his address to the annual meeting with ASEAN members, held in the southern Chinese city of Nanning recently, Xi said China was committed to “common development and a peaceful regional solution to the dispute”.

The claimants’ desire to maintain regional peace and stability, however, might not be enough to ensure future stability. The ability of central governments to persuade the various domestic institutions, and their peoples to adopt a win-win, comprehensive, peaceful solution is also crucial.

So far, China has been having difficulties in convincing various institutions or indeed its people who prefer to see an assertive stance, of the importance of preserving regional peace and stability as a precondition of economic development.

Angguntari C. Sari

The writer is a lecturer at the department of international relations, Parahyangan Catholic University, Bandung.

Vietnam Praises Russia, China for Supporting Independence

Dec 29, 2012- (Prensa Latina) Vietnam praised the peoples and armed forces of Russia and China for their material and spiritual support for the fight to achieve national independence during the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the decisive battle of Hanoi against the U.S. air force.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan made those statements when receiving General Bondarev Viktor Nhikolaevich, commander in chief of the Russia Federation's Air Force, and Major General Wang Yisheng, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force of the People's Liberation Army of China.

During a reception offered to Nhikolaevich, the Vietnamese host expressed the conviction that the guestâ�Ös presence will strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between the military forces from the two countries.

Nhan also considered important the cooperation with China on the same issue when meeting with Wang Yisheng, to whom he suggested the adoption of joint measures to increase the effectiveness and professional quality of their air forces.

Vietnam's Bloody Defeat of China

Oct 24, 2010- Flashback in time to a war most Americans aren't familiar with.

(SALEM, Ore.) - China lost a significant war in 1979 against Vietnam, though many people in the west do not realize this important history. This side of Vietnam that is rarely recognized involves the country's willingness to defeat the barbaric Khmer Rouge neighbors in Cambodia after the U.S. war in SE Asia. For this China invaded Vietnam, only to lose and retreat after 29 days, ultimately abandoning their military aggression.

VN troops on captured Chinese tank

Let's back up to 1970, when the U.S. was six years into the Vietnam War; the year that American forces invaded Cambodia, which borders both North and South Vietnam. Communist forces fighting American military units; North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong guerrillas, used Cambodia as a refuge and passageway. They would enter this country from the north, and show up in the U.S. controlled southern areas.

In 1973 a cease fire was called in Vietnam. In 1975 the last U.S. forces pulled out of the country for good, leaving behind only POW's and MIA's.

At this point all of Vietnam was under the control of Communist Hanoi and it has remained that way ever since.

What is interesting is that Vietnam was primarily supported by the USSR during the U.S. war, not by neighboring China as might reasonably be expected. China was a big supporter of Vietnam right until the start of the U.S. war; that is the year China's support of Vietnam ceased.

As Wikipedia states, the Chinese Communist Party and the Viet Minh had a long history. When Vietnam was fighting France in 1950, the recently founded communist People's Republic of China and the Viet Minh enjoyed close relations. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and the 'Chinese Military Advisory Group' under Wei Guoqing played an important role in the Viet Minh's defeat of the French military.

Relations between the Soviets and Chinese began to dissolve after the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin- who was responsible for the Murder of millions of Russians. Mao Zedong said Nikita Khrushchev made a serious error in a 'Secret Speech' that denounced Stalin. What really got Chairman Mao heated was Khrushchev's support of peaceful co-existence with the west.

The hostilities increased and led to what is known as the 'Sino-Soviet split'.

At this point, just prior to the start of the U.S. Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese still supported China, mainly due to China's support of North Vietnam's re-unification policy; something the Soviet Union had so far remained indifferent to.

China withdrew support from North Vietnam the same year the U.S. war began, in 1964, when Khrushchev's party sent him packing. He was replaced with Leonid Brezhnev as First Secretary and Alexei Kosygin as Premier.

Beginning in 1965, Vietnamese communist loyalty shifted toward the Soviet Union; with both the Soviet Union and China now supplying arms to North Vietnam in their war against South Vietnam and the U.S.

Fallout with Khmer Rouge

The Vietnamese Communists and Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge worked together in the beginning, but the relations unraveled when the Cambodian regime demanded that Vietnam return certain parcels of land to Cambodia that had been "lost" several centuries earlier. Vietnam wasn't interested, and Pol Pot responded by laying waste to ethnic Vietnamese in a massacre inside Cambodia.

Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge

It is important to note that the Khmer Rouge committed genocide against people of different races including ethnic Chinese, Vietnamese and Cambodians.

The Soviets ultimately backed the Vietnamese in a war to defeat Pol Pot in Cambodia, following the tragic notorious period of genocide. The People's Republic of China's (PRC) support of Pol Pot caused the USSR to see it all as an opportunity. They backed the seasoned battle forces of the Vietnamese army which easily defeated the genocidal Khmer Rouge.

The Vietnamese knew there could be a reprisal from China, but they chose to take the Soviet support and hoped the show of force would keep the Chinese at bay. In the long run they lost their gamble.

The official Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia happened late in 1978. The Khmer Rouge was inexperienced in combat; their experience was in bullying and murdering the local civilian populace, not in actual military engagement.

By 7 January 1979, Cambodian forces backed by the Vietnamese government, seized the capital Phnom Penh, terminating the Khmer Rouge regime. Pol Pot fled into the jungle and lived for many years. Until 1997 he and a remaining remnant of the Khmer Rouge operated in the border region of Cambodia and Thailand.

The 29 Day War

The only thing missing from China's invasion of Vietnam on 17 February 1979 was aircraft. China rolled across major sections of the Vietnam border with infantry, armor, and artillery. Their 29 day war achieved no substantial victory and failed as a show of force against the Soviet Union.

According to Wikipedia:

Within a single day, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) had advanced some eight kilometers into Vietnam along a broad front. It then slowed and nearly stalled because of heavy Vietnamese resistance and difficulties within the Chinese supply system. On 21 February, the advance resumed against Cao Bang in the far north and against the all-important regional hub of Lang Son. Chinese troops entered Cao Bang on 27 February, but the city was not secured completely until 2 March. Lang Son fell two days later. On 5 March, the Chinese, saying Vietnam had been sufficiently chastised, announced that the campaign was over. Beijing declared its "lesson" finished and the PLA withdrawal was completed on 16 March.

Vietnam's position in the wake of combat operations, was that Beijing had suffered a military setback if not an outright defeat.

According to GlobalSecurity.org:

The 1979 attack confirmed Hanoi's perception of China as a threat. The PAVN high command henceforth had to assume, for planning purposes, that the Chinese might come again and might not halt in the foothills but might drive on to Hanoi. The border war strengthened Soviet-Vietnamese relations. The Soviet military role in Vietnam increased during the 1980s as the Soviets provided arms to Vietnam; moreover, Soviet ships enjoyed access to the harbors at Danang and Cam Ranh Bay, and Soviet reconnaissance aircraft operated out of Vietnamese airfields. The Vietnamese responded to the Chinese campaign by turning the districts along the China border into "iron fortresses" manned by well-equipped and well-trained paramilitary troops. In all, an estimated 600,000 troops were assigned to counter Chinese operations and to stand ready for another Chinese invasion. The precise dimensions of the frontier operations were difficult to determine, but its monetary cost to Vietnam was considerable.

Chinese POW's

According to the Website SinoVietnameseWar.com, the legacy of the war is enduring, particularly in Vietnam. In this nation already devastated by two recent wars, the Chinese in all essence, implemented a "scorched-earth policy" as they retreated back to China, causing extensive damage to the Vietnamese countryside and infrastructure.

Vietnamese POW's

Villages were reduced to rubble, roads and railroads received damage at the hands of the Chinese.

In Gerald Segal's 1985 book Defending China, it was concluded that China's 1979 war against Vietnam was a complete failure: "China failed to force a Vietnamese withdrawal from [Cambodia], failed to end border clashes, failed to cast doubt on the strength of the Soviet power, failed to dispel the image of China as a paper tiger, and failed to draw the United States into an anti-Soviet coalition."

Still, as Wikipedia relates, Bruce Elleman argued that "one of the primary diplomatic goals behind China's attack was to expose Soviet assurances of military support to Vietnam as a fraud. Seen in this light, Beijing's policy was actually a diplomatic success, since Moscow did not actively intervene, thus showing the practical limitations of the Soviet-Vietnamese military pact... China achieved a strategic victory by minimizing the future possibility of a two-front war against the USSR and Vietnam."

"Border skirmishes continued throughout the 1980s, including a significant skirmish in April of 1984; this saw the first use of the Type 81 Assault Rifle by the Chinese," according to SinoVietnameseWar.com


China-Vietnam War from Vietnamese perspective


China-Vietnam War from Chinese perspective

After years of unsuccessful negotiations, a border pact was finally signed between the two countries in 1999. The exact position of the border was kept secret, problems continued, and Vietnam eventually relinquished the property back to China.

On a positive note, it was announced in December 2007 that the Hanoi-Kunming highway; a landmark in Sino-Vietnamese relations, would be built. The road will cross the border that was once a battlefield for these countries. It should contribute to demilitarizing the border region, as well as facilitating trade and industrial cooperation between the nations, notes SinoVietnameseWar.com.

Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

Sources:

Sino-Vietnamese War - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chinese Invasion of VietnamFebruary 1979 - GlobalSecurity.org

SinoVietnameseWar.com

Iranian Navy Tests Short-Range Cruise Missiles in Velayat 91 Drills

Jan 1, 2013- On the third day of Iran's extensive drills in the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, the Navy's artilleries will exercise shooting marine surface targets of aggressive forces, a senior Iranian commander says.

Rear Admiral Amir Rastegari, spokesman for the ongoing Velayat 91 naval drills, said that Iranian commandoes, riflemen, and special operational forces will exercise engaging aggressive forces on Sunday.

The special operational forces and the floating units division will also exercise overcoming aggressive vessels using helicopters, he said.

Philippines Navy Buys 3 AW-109

Dec 29, 2012- The Philippines Navy has acquired three AgustaWestland AW-109 worth USD 32.5 million under an emergency procurement program. The procurement of the naval variant AW-109 is part of the Government’s plan to boost the Navy’s capability under its military modernasation program. It also shows that the Philippines is committed to protect its territorial sovereignty as well as the stabilization of this region.

The Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Air Air had previously operated three AW-109 which were used for training purposes. These helicopters, once operated by 723 Sqn RAN, were recently replaced by three Bell 429 leased for similar role that were lest behind by the out-going AW-109.

Beside the RAN’s FAA, other naval user of the AW-109 is the Bangladesh Navy which operates two of such helicopter.

The Strait Times

S China Sea row churns, Ansari to visit Vietnam

Dec 29, 2012- Indian Vice-President Hamid Ansari will be going on his first visit, in his second term, to Vietnam next month, signalling New Delhi’s growing close relations with Hanoi. This visit assumes significance in the wake of Vietnam’s tough stance against China on the territorial dispute over South China Sea.

Indian Navy INS Airavat has visited Vietnam in 2011

A decision has been taken to schedule the Vice-President’s visit in January third week, sources said, and could be held as early as January 14. He is likely to visit Hanoi as well as Ho Chi Minh city, which is home to the Indian community.

South Block considers Vietnam a key partner in South-east Asia, evident from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with the visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, on the sidelines of the Indo-ASEAN Commemorative Summit on December 21.

In fact, Vietnam was the only country last week, which had sought New Delhi’s “support” in the “full implementation” of the code of conduct in South China Sea.

Furious over Chinese passports showing South China Sea as part of Chinese waters, Vietnam had last month issued stapled visas to travellers to the neighbouring country, an idea copied from India.

The Indian Express

Vietnam's trawlers navigate troubled seas

Dec 29, 2012- Vietnam's fishermen say they will continue to work in disputed waters despite increased hostility from China.

China naval ship captured Vietnam fisher's vessel

The Vietnamese are locked in a territorial dispute over parts of the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea.

But Chinese government insists its navy is entitled to intercept Vietnamese boats for trespassing.

Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay reports from Ly Son Island, Vietnam.

Chinese document refutes China's claim to Senkakus

Dec 28, 2012- A Japanese media organization reports that China recognized the Senkaku Islands as part of Japan's Ryukyu Islands in a 1950 diplomatic document.

Jiji Press ran the story on Thursday, after reportedly obtaining a copy of the document.

The report says the document is a draft outline on territorial issues for a peace treaty with Japan and was produced by the Chinese government in May of 1950.

In the document, the Chinese government reportedly refers to the islands in the East China Sea as the Senkaku Islands, instead of calling them Diaoyu, as it does today.

The Jiji article says the document contains descriptions recognizing the islands as part of what is now Japan's Okinawa Prefecture.

The document reportedly states that China needs to consider whether or not the islands should be incorporated into Taiwan.

China's foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Thursday that the Chinese government is not aware of the report. But she added that China's claims to sovereignty over the islands have sufficient historical and legal grounds.

China contends that the islands are part of Taiwan and has consistently referred to them as Diaoyu.

But the Jiji report casts doubt on this contention.

China to promote marine cooperation with Thailand, Malaysia around South China Sea

Dec 28, 2012- China pledges to strengthen cooperation with countries around the South China Sea in a bid to ensure the sustained development of the ocean economy, the State Oceanic Administration said on Thursday.

It said cooperation between China and neighbouring countries around the South China Sea, including Thailand and Malaysia have been satisfying over the past year. Some reserch results have been used in building fish farms and weather forecasts in east Asia. China is willing to expand the cooperation, officials added, in addition to the ongoing joint efforts on environmental protection, and disaster relief and prevention.

Weaving through Vietnam's Hoi An

Dec 29, 2012- If your idea of a perfect vacation is to whiz through several locales, taking in the view from an air-conditioned bus, then Vietnam’s Hoi An is probably not for you. But if you like to amble through cobblestoned streets and cycle in the countryside, then come along for the ride.

Outdoor stage in Hoi An

WITH greasy juices running down my chin as I slurp up the remaining mouthfuls of my caolak noodles, I gaze at my new friend and say glassy-eyed, “Vinh, you’re my Hoi An Tripadvisor.”

Vinh has just brought me to yet another secret find, a hole-in-the-wall café to sample some of Hoi An’s famous noodles. Brought me as in he’s cycling ahead of me while I regain my not-entirely-forgotten bicycle skills.

Over the next few days that I spend in Hoi An, Vinh patiently answers all my questions, enthusiastically recommends restaurants and tirelessly seeks out photo opportunities that I might like.

Eschewing more conventional modes of transport, he has managed to convince me that the best way to experience Hoi An is on two wheels. Not only would I cover more ground than if I were walking, but I’d also manage to catch a breeze. As I cycle through its ancient streets that are wonderfully devoid of cars and take in the sights, I can’t agree more.

Hoi An is a town made for exploring. Wander through little alleys and come upon tiny galleries and cafes. Weave through pathways in the market and be entranced by tiny ducklings in a basket in one corner, and be equally amazed by a woman having her eyebrows professionally plucked in another.

What can I say about the cuisine in Hoi An that hasn’t already been oohed and aahed over by food bloggers?

I dutifully make the rounds of the restaurants that are recommended and, yes, they are all sublime.

Providing a welcome respite from the midday heat is Secret Garden, tucked in an alley away from the main thoroughfare. Going to the famous Morning Glory has me queuing up for a table. The much better idea, as Vinh suggests, is a visit to Miss Vy’s older establishment, Mermaid, which is quieter while presenting pretty much the same menu.

Cruising at 5km/h

Cu lao Cham Island in Hoi An Town

It is Vinh who convinces me to spend half a day on one of their cycling tours. When I look at the logo of the company, Love of Life Cycling Tours, with its flying pink heart, I have an inkling that this will be a fun adventure. And it is, even though we start off at daybreak. Leading the way is Hang (as in hanger, he proclaims with a grin!).

It’s a visit to the fish market which sees teeming groups of women haggling over the catch of the day. In fact, I only see women, so I guess while the fishing is left to the menfolk, women are in charge of the commerce.

After a quick breakfast, we take to the countryside surrounding Hoi An, with its picturesque riverine landscape. As the sun rises higher, we cycle past padi fields with docile buffaloes lounging in the shade and verdant vegetable gardens.

Hang calls out descriptions such as “Mangoes! Bougainvilleas!”, to which I answer, “I know. I’ve seen them before.” But a little plant piques my interest and I get down to examine it closer when Hang explains that it’s sesame.

I open up a pod to have a closer look at the minuscule seeds, and also have a whiff of lemon verbena. I love that the Vietnamese treat herbs like basil and mint like vegetables in their cooking.

Sensing that my energy is flagging, Hang leads the way to An Bang Beach, where we relax over cold drinks and peanuts. I take in the view of the nearby Cham islands and Marble Mountain, and marvel at the beauty all around me, but I am disconcerted by the sight of a couple of puppies being transported to the nearby market.

I am told that the Vietnamese still like their dog meat and that puts a momentary damper on my day.

We continue our ride to a jetty where we load our bikes onto a boat and take a leisurely cruise back to Hoi An. I am amazed when told that we have covered about 12km. For lunch, I am led to a private home where a veritable feast awaits.

I have spring rolls and freshly made pancakes accompanied by fresh herbs and a piquant sesame sauce to die for.

I stuff my face happily, only to find out that they are merely starters, because out comes fried fish, vegetables and rice, followed by pineapple cake and jasmine tea. I am entranced that I get to dine at a private residence rather than a restaurant, as Hang explains that this is a source of revenue for housewives as well.

When the lady of the house brings out wooden tubs and proceeds to fill them with hot water and herbs, I joke that it would be great to have a foot massage to ease my aching muscles. But lo and behold, that is exactly what she proceeds to give me.

What an exquisite finish to cap my adventure on wheels!

Suits me just fine

There are hundreds of tailors dotted throughout town, many of them coming highly recommended. Hoi An is a town of tailors and shoemakers, it would seem, and one can have bespoke suits and shoes.

When I ask my Hoi An Tripadvisor about having a suit tailored, he, of course, leads me ... right next door to Five Seasons. The ever-so-sweet Miss Rose accedes to my every request, and painstakingly presents me with a well-made suit that is very reasonably priced within 24 hours.

When an itinerant hawker passing by tries to overcharge me for some fruits, she chides him, saying that “we shouldn’t take advantage of visitors like that.”

Vinh insists that I keep my bicycle, even though my tour with Love of Life Bicycle Tours has ended and I’ve paid up.

“Keep the bike. You can return it tomorrow,” he says as he waves me off on another jaunt. Discovering that I have a penchant for seafood, he indicates a restaurant called Song Thu that’s off my little map. I follow his directions along quiet streets and private homes, thinking that I must be mistaken, but bright lights lead me on to the restaurant. What it lacks in ambience, it makes up for in its menu, and I thoroughly enjoy a seafood meal that’s very affordably priced.

On my final night, Vinh suggests that I bike to Cao Dai on the coast, despite Hang having claimed earlier that it’s not very clean. “Keep the bike. Return it tomorrow,” he waves me off yet again.

I rather enjoy the 4km ride there, especially since the sight of a beautiful rainbow on the horizon greets me after some earlier showers. The entire stretch of beach in Cao Dai is lined with seafood restaurants. The one that Vinh recommends is patronised only by locals and serves up some of the freshest crab and squid I’ve had. Nothing beats a seafood meal washed down by cold beer while watching the sun go down.

I watch little kids as they frolic on the beach, and a company party making merry alongside my table.

As I cycle back, the unlit street is pitch black, making me worry a little for my safety. But somehow, just as in other parts of Vietnam, the rest of the traffic somehow seems to flow around me, and unlike other Vietnamese cities, nobody honks at me. Nearing town, I waver, wondering which way to go, but old crones sitting at street corners wave cheerfully and point me in the right direction.

I’m feeling more and more like I belong here, and can see myself making another visit soon to this ancient part of the country. In fact, I can’t wait till I come back.

By REGGIE LEE/ The Star

Philippines claims Thitu Island (Đảo Thị Tứ) in South China Sea

Dec 28, 2012- Filipinos have settled on Thitu Island as a means to strengthen the country's claim on the Spratlys.

Thitu Island

Thitu Island (Vietnamese: Đảo Thị Tứ) is at the centre of one of the biggest territorial disputes in the world.

It is part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which are believed to be sitting on billions of dollars’ worth of oil and gas reserves.

Six countries claim ownership of the tiny archipelago, including the Philippines, which has people living on Thitu Island as a means to strengthen its claim on the Spratlys.

Al Jazeera's Jamela Alindogan reports from the Spratlys in the South China Sea.

Here’s How Darpa’s Robot Ship Will Hunt Silent Submarines

Dec 28, 2012- Submariners like to say there are two kinds of ships: subs and targets. The Pentagon’s futurists want to turn that aphorism on its head, and develop a new kind of surface ship that can turn a sub into a target. Naturally, the sub-hunter won’t have a human on board. Here’s how it’s going to work.


The video above is a new promotional piece of machinima (do people still say that?) released by the defense contractor Science Applications International Corporation, which has a $58 million contract with Darpa to build its unmanned sub-hunter of the future. That maritime robot, called the Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vehicle, or ACTUV, doesn’t exist yet and won’t for years. But here SAIC at least sketches out how the long, thin and “radically different” ACTUV can keep surface ships from becoming targets.

The really interesting thing here is how different the surface-gliding ACTUV is from the now-familiar drones that litter the skies. Even the longest-flying drones can only stay in the air for 30 hours or so. SAIC intends for this thing to stay on a hunt for 60 to 90 days.

What’s more, SAIC is designing the ACTUV to be way more autonomous than contemporary drone aircraft: After a sailor powers it up and helps guide it out of port, she can go on a long vacation while the ACTUV speeds out to the open water to use its long-range acquisition sonar and other advanced sensors to scan for submarines, while automatically steering clear of any nearby surface ships.

Assuming SAIC isn’t over-promising (much), the sonar pods underneath the belly of the ACTUV create an acoustic image of a submarine and pursue it at high speed — although that’s something that can only happen when the ACTUV gets fairly close to its quarry. (More on that in a second.) Once the ACTUV thinks it’s got something, it pings nearby Navy ships through a satellite link. If a sailor thinks the ACTUV has made a mistake, he can convey that back to the unmanned ship and it’ll move on.

If not, the ACTUV operates alongside the fleet, with coordination not often seen with aerial drone tactics. SAIC apparently wants the ACTUV in constant communication with a mothership and Naval aircraft that would fly overhead and drop sonar charges to hunt the mystery sub, with the ACTUV speeding along to keep pace with the swift submarine. SAIC seems to intend for the ACTUV to follow the sub back to its home port (!) if necessary, or until a human in the fleet commands it to break contact. The ACTUV, in case you were wondering, isn’t armed.

How all this will happen isn’t yet clear. The subs that really give the U.S. Navy pause are cheap diesel-electric models, which are technologically puny compared to the Navy’s nuclear-powered subs but can be much quieter and harder to track. Russia sells them; Iran claims to have them. SAIC’s video suggests that the ACTUV can’t actually find the diesel-electric sub on its own: The scenario here depends on a Navy commander suspecting there’s an enemy sub in the area and deploying a P8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft (successor to the P-3C Orion) to drop sonar buoys to find it. The ACTUV sprints out in a certain pattern while “predict[ing] that long-range sensors will be able to completely envelop” the area where the sub might be “and prevent successful evasion.” So not an exact science, but its sonars are said to get more precise the closer the ACTUV gets to the suspected sub target.

The on-board hardware described generically in the video relies on “collected data and sophisticated logics” to “infer the intent” of watercraft. So that should at least make the ACTUV cognizant of any sizable metal thing that seems to be tracking a Navy ship. And if SAIC is right that the ACTUV can really hear the diesel-electric subs, then that enemy sub really may become the ocean’s newest target.

Wired.com

Taiwan plans oil, gas exploration in South China Sea

Dec 258, 2012- TAIPEI: Taiwan plans to start exploring for oil and gas in the South China Sea from next year, according to an official and local media, in a development that could increase tensions in the contested waters.

The Bureau of Mines and state-run oil supplier CPC Corp are expected to kick off exploration in 2013 in the sea around Taiping, the biggest islet in the Spratly archipelago, the United Daily News website and other media reported.

File photo of two Taiwanese warships docking near the shore of Taiping island, the largest in the disputed Spratly island chain. (HO/AFP/File)

Jerry Ou, head of the Bureau of Energy, announced the plan Thursday in parliament, the paper said, adding that a budget of Tw$17 million ($585,000) had been set aside for the project.

"At the moment, it's something that's being planned by the government, and we haven't received any details yet," an official with CPC Corp told AFP, declining to be named.

The Bureau of Energy declined comment, while the Bureau of Mining was not immediately available for a reaction to the report.

Taiwan, which does not have any oil resources of its own and is dependent on imports mainly from the Middle East and Africa, would seem to have solid economic reasons for looking for new energy reserves.

However, carrying out oil and gas exploration in the Spratlys could ratchet up tensions, as the islands are claimed entirely or in part by Taiwan, Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

All claimants except Brunei have troops based on the group of more than 100 islets, reefs and atolls, which are spread across a vast area but have a total land mass of less than five square kilometres.

Taiwan maintains a small coastguard garrison on Taiping, 1,400 kilometres from its southern coast, and earlier this year sent new mortar and anti-aircraft systems to the islet, angering Vietnam.

- AFP/de

China's new transport aircraft boosts military drive

Dec 28, 2012- The Ministry of Chinese National Defense confirmed on Thursday that a large transport aircraft is being developed as part of the military's modernization drive.


The long-range aircraft, the Y-20, will improve the military's air transportation, according to ministry spokesman Yang Yujun, who spoke to reporters at a news briefing in Beijing.

Yang Yujun, spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, confirmed on Thursday that a large transport aircraft is being developed as part of the military's modernization drive.

The move is not only in line with the military's modernization, but also serves the purposes of providing disaster relief and assistance in emergency situations.

"Research and development is proceeding as planned," he said, without saying when the aircraft will make its debut. He added that the development needs to undergo a series of phases such as designing, experiments and trials, because "the technology is complicated".

While commenting on Japan's recent activities in the airspace over the Diaoyu Islands, Yang said the Chinese military "closely monitors" Japan's actions and is "highly vigilant".

Japan sent fighter jets to the islands, which belong to China, on Saturday after it saw a Chinese marine surveillance plane conducting routine patrols.

"We will decisively fulfill our tasks and missions while coordinating with relevant departments, such as the maritime supervision authority, so as to safeguard China's maritime law enforcement activities and protect the nation's territorial integrity and maritime rights," Yang said.

Relations between the two neighbors soured quickly in September after Japan's illegal "purchase" of some of the islands.

The Sino-Japanese military relationship is an important but also sensitive part of the two countries' ties, Yang said, and Japan should face up to the difficulties and problems that now exist.

And he also noted that a good and stable relationship is not only beneficial to the two countries, but also serves the interests of the entire region.

Masato Kitera, Japan's new ambassador to China, told reporters on Tuesday in Beijing that it is important for both countries to improve ties, while describing improving the relationship as his "top task".

Yang also mentioned China's strong opposition to an amendment to the US' 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. The US Congress approved the military spending bill this month.

The amendment says the US takes no position on the sovereignty of the islands but recognizes Japan's administration over them, placing them under Article 5 of the US-Japan security treaty. US President Barack Obama must still sign the bill for it to become law.

The amendment seriously violates China's sovereignty and domestic affairs, which undermine the building of a strategic mutual trust between the US and China, Yang said.

He added that it is justifiable for the Chinese military to provide security in waters under China's jurisdiction.

China.org.cn

Australia plans military exercises with China

Dec 27, 2012- SYDNEY: Australia and China are planning joint military exercises which may also include the United States as the nations work to ensure stability in the region, Canberra's defence chief said.

Chinese navy warship lives firing.

General David Hurley told The Australian newspaper the war games were "on the short-term horizon".

"We're working our way towards that," he said.

The planned exercises come as Washington pushes to bolster its military might in the strategically vital Asia-Pacific amid concerns about China's increasing assertiveness and territorial tensions with its neighbours.

This includes an enhanced US naval presence in the region and the deployment of up to 2,500 Marines to a barracks near the northern Australian city of Darwin.

The Marines contingent has irked Beijing, which has described their presence as proof of a "Cold-War mentality".

Hurley revealed that Australian and Chinese military leaders had discussed joint exercises "in principle".

"It's not something everyone will rush into but it's certainly on the table and we just need to work out what that might look like and where and when would be the best places to do it," he said.

Hurley added that he thought the Americans would want to be involved.

"At the moment, we've had the in-principle discussion (that) 'Yes, this is something we should have a further look at'," he told the newspaper.

"When, where and in what form would be the next iteration of the discussion."

Despite its militarisation, Beijing maintains it has a policy of "peaceful development" and Canberra has been keen to reassure Chinese leaders that the decision to allow US Marines on Australian soil was not aimed at them.

Hurley said he wanted to see strong military-to-military links throughout the region, including with Beijing.

"We need to know the Chinese, they need to know us, and we work a very constructive programme," he said.

"It builds confidence in each other and knowledge about each other."

Earlier this month, three Chinese navy ships returning from counter-piracy operations in Africa docked in Sydney as part of celebrations of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries.

Hurley said more visits were likely. "They're not going to grow to a huge number each year but certainly they will occur on a frequent basis," he said.

AFP

Beidou system starts service in Asia-Pacific

Dec 28, 2012- The China Beidou Navigation System, also known as Compass, has started offering free civilian positioning and navigation services over the Asia-Pacific region. The announcement was made during a press conference on Thursday morning.

The Beidou satellite network will provide positioning services with an accuracy of 10 meters, or 33 feet. Speed estimates are within less than one foot per second, and time measurements within 10 nanoseconds.

The system has been used in transportation, weather forecasting, hydrological monitoring, and mapping for tests. The Beidou navigation system is developed based on a "three-step" strategy. Currently in its second phase, the system now offers regional service with 16 satellites.

It is planned to offer services to global customers with 35 satellites, upon its completion in 2020.

Vietnam-China 2012: Waves from the East Sea

Dec 27, 2012- Although the relations between Vietnam and China made certain progress in 2012, unfortunately, China’s acts related to the East Sea conflict have affected the stable development momentum of the bilateral relations.

Cooperation between the two countries in 2012 was maintained and gained certain progress. Politically, the two sides continued exchange of high-level visits and meetings.

On the occasion of the Chinese Communist Party Congress, Head of the Party Central Committee’s Information and Public Relations Commission Hoang Binh Quan represented the Vietnamese Communist Party to celebrate the success of the Congress and transferred the congratulation message of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Exchanges between ministries, branches, localities and people continued to be implemented, such as the 13th Vietnam-China Youth Friendship Meeting in China and the 7th Conference of ASEAN-China People’s Friendship Organizations in Vietnam.

In terms of economic cooperation, bilateral trade turnover by October reached $ 33.67 billion (up 17.4%).

The situation on the land border and the Gulf of Tonkin was stable. For maritime issues, both sides discussed to implement the high-level perception.

Waves in the East Sea

Although the Vietnam-China ties in recent years had certain progress, unfortunately China’s acts in the East Sea have affected the stable development momentum of bilateral relations, which would have continued to be strengthened further.

2012 witnessed the escalation of China related to sovereignty disputes in the East Sea, especially in the second half of the year, which not only stirred up waves in the East Sea but also placed the relationship between Vietnam and China before profound challenges.

Establishing the so-called "Sansha" city

In July, China formally established the so-called "Sansha" city, based on Phu Lam Island, in Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago. Photo Chinadaily

The information about China’s establishment of the so-called "Sansha" city, which includes the island district of Truong Sa (Spratly) of Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam and the Hoang Sa (Paracels) island district of Da Nang, Vietnam, was released in June.

In July, China formally established the so-called "Sansha" city, based on Phu Lam Island, in Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago, despite the objections of the international community.

China urgently strengthened the so-called government apparatus of "Sansha" city by building ports, airports, bridges, offices, etc.

China also planed to build waste treatment works, apartments, roads in Vinh Hung or Vietnam's Phu Lam Island.

China held a flag raising ceremony on October 1 to mark its National Day on Phu Lam Island in the Hoang Sa archipelago.

On October 3, the Chinese navy’s Nanhai Fleet held an exercise in the waters of the Hoang Sa archipelago and five days later, China set up a meteorological station in the so-called Sansha City.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said the activities of the Chinese side has seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, the international law, the basic principles on the settlement of sea issues between Vietnam and China signed in October 2011, going against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South East Sea (DOC) signed in 2002 between ASEAN and China, making the situation in the East Sea more complicated.

Invitation of international bids for 9 oil and gas lots

The nine oil and gas lots that the CNOOC opened international bids for are entirely in the exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles and the continental shelf of Vietnam.

In June, China announced the opening of international bids for 9 oil and gas lot within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and Vietnam’s continental shelf.

In August, China again opened international bid for the oil and gas block 65/12, seriously violating Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracel Islands.

Spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said, this action is illegal and invalid.

The nine oil and gas lots that the CNOOC opened international bids for are entirely in the exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles and the continental shelf of Vietnam

Vietnam asked China to immediately cancel the wrong biddings and not make any act that would make the situation in the East Sea more complicated and strictly observe the Agreement on the principles for the settlement of marine-related issues signed between the two countries, respect international law, especially the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 and the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

Seizing Vietnamese fishing vessels and fishermen

In 2012, China arrested 21 fishermen and two Vietnamese fishing vessels in the waters of the Paracel Islands of Vietnam.

In a diplomatic note to the Embassy of China, Vietnam protested the actions of the Chinese side that seriously violated the sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of Vietnam and asked the Chinese side to unconditionally release Vietnamese fishermen and fishing vessels, to stop the arrest and obstruction of Vietnamese fishermen in the waters of Vietnam.

China had to release 21 fishermen and 1 fishing vessels.

'U-shaped' passports

China began issuing electronic passports with the U-shaped line in May.

China began issuing electronic passports with the U-shaped line in May. Shortly after it was discovered, Vietnam asked China to remove the wrong content on this passport.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said China’s act violated Vietnam's sovereignty over the two archipelagoes of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, as well as sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction of Vietnam to the relevant waters in the East Sea.

Escalating violations

November 23 - China published a map of "Sansha," which includes the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos and the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam.

November 27- Hainan Province ratified the revised "Charters on coastal border management and security of Hainan Province," which put the two archipelagoes of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa of Vietnam in the scope of application.

November 30- While Vietnam's Binh Minh 02 ship was conducting normal seismic exploration in the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of Vietnam, two Chinese fishing vessels deliberately obstructed and cut the ship’s cable, regardless of the warning signal of functional forces of Vietnam.

Linh Thu/ Vietnamnet

Chinese military on guard against Japanese jet activity near Diaoyu Islands

Dec 27, 2012- BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's Defense Ministry on Thursday said the Chinese military "closely monitors" and is "highly vigilant" concerning relevant Japanese Air Self-Defense Force activity in the airspace over the Diaoyu Islands.

This handout picture taken by the Japan Coast Guard on Thursday shows a Chinese government plane flying near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. Japan scrambled fighter jets after the Chinese plane entered airspace over the islands at the center of a dispute between Tokyo and Beijing. Photo: AFP

Ministry of Defense spokesman Yang Yujun made the remarks at a press briefing while commenting on Japanese fighter jets' recent interception of a Chinese marine surveillance plane patrolling areas around the Diaoyu Islands.

"We will decisively fulfill our tasks and missions while coordinating with relevant departments such as maritime supervision organs, so as to safeguard China's maritime law enforcement activities and protect the country's territorial integrity and maritime rights," Yang said.

Yang said it is "justifiable" for the Chinese military to provide security in waters under China's jurisdiction, and other countries are "in no position" to make irresponsible remarks in this regard.

"China-Japan defense relations are an important and sensitive part of bilateral ties, and the Japanese side should face up to the difficulties and problems that currently exist in bilateral ties," Yang said.

He also called on Japan to take concrete steps to properly handle relevant issues and maintain the overall situation of Sino-Japanese ties.

Media reports say Japan's Air Self-Defense Force sent F-15 fighter jets to the area on Saturday to intercept a Chinese marine surveillance plane bound for the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.

Xinhua

China mulls South China Sea tsunami warning system

Dec 27, 2012- China is leading a plan to set up a system that will provide warnings for tsunamis and other destructive weather in the South China Sea region, an official with the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said.

Vietnamese Paracel Islands which China had invaded from Republic of Vietnam with a sea battle in 1974

"Tsunamis don't occur frequently, but they always result in significant damage. In the South China Sea, occurrence of earthquakes and tsunamis in the Manila Trench near the Philippines is highly possible," said Zhang Zhanhai, head of the SOA's international cooperation department, at a Thursday press conference.

According to Zhang, China is now capable of sending tsunami warnings to other countries around the South China Sea, adding that these countries have reached a consensus on China leading the construction of the warning system.

The move came after the SOA released an international cooperation framework for the South China Sea and other neighboring sea areas in January this year.

The framework included plans for China to cooperate with neighboring countries to explore and utilize maritime resources, reduce oceanic disasters and develop the maritime economy.

In addition, SOA spokesman Shi Qingfeng mentioned multiple cooperative programs, including a monsoon monitoring project launched in cooperation with Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as research on the connection between oceanic disasters and climate change.

China sends patrol vessel to South China Sea

Dec 27, 2012- HAIKOU - China on Thursday sent an oceangoing patrol vessel equipped with a helipad to the South China Sea, the first of its kind to be put into service there.

China on Thursday sent an oceangoing patrol vessel equipped with a helipad to the
South China Sea, the first of its kind to be put into service there.
(Photo/China News Service)

The vessel, Haixun 21, will be under the administration of the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration.

It will monitor maritime traffic safety, investigate maritime accidents, detect pollution, carry out search and rescue work and fulfill international conventions, said Huang He, deputy head of the maritime bureau of the Ministry of Transport.

Haixun 21

"In the past, Hainan provincial maritime law enforcement entities could only cover coastal waters and never reached the high seas. The newly enlisted Haixun 21 ends the history of no large oceangoing patrol vessels in South China Sea," said Ruan Ruiwen, head of the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration.

Haixun 21 was put into use in 2002. It is 93.2 meters long with a maximum sailing distance of 4,000 nautical miles (7,408 kilometers) without refueling. Its maximum sailing speed is 22 knots (40.74 kilometers per hour). The helipad, located at the stern, is about 21 meters long and 11 meters wide.

Chinadaily