AMERICAN ADMIRALTY BOOKS NEWS FLASH
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| Alexander Von Humbolt II,Named for the Oceanographer, Photo by Hans George Schroder |
HOW FAR WILL THE DRAGON SWIM?
CHINA ANNOUNCES THAT IT WILL BOARD AND DETAIN VESSELS IN DISPUTED ZONES. CHINA HAS BITTER TERRITORIAL DISPUTES WITH VIETNAM, TAIWAN, PHILIPPINES, AND JAPAN. THIS CAN NOT BE GOOD NEWS. POLICY CHANGE ANNOUNCED AS EFFECTIVE AS OF JANUARY 1,2013.
Police in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan will board and search ships which enter into what China considers its territorial waters in the disputed South China Sea, state media said on Thursday, a move which could raise tensions further.
The South China Sea is Asia's biggest potential military trouble spot with several Asian countries claiming sovereignty.
New rules, which come into effect on January 1, will allow Hainan police to board and seize control of foreign ships which "illegally enter" Chinese waters and order them to change course or stop sailing, the official China Daily reported.
"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, Hainan police have the right to take over the ships or their communication systems, under the revised regulations," it added.
China's assertion of sovereignty over the stretch of water off its south coast and to the east of mainland Southeast Asia has set it directly against Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to parts.
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