China launched a special maritime law enforcement operation in the waters east of Taiwan island on Saturday.
The operation, launched by China's Ministry of Transport, in coordination with the Fujian and Guangdong maritime safety administrations, the Eastern Navigation Support Center, and the East China Sea Rescue Bureau, aims to fully exercise China's maritime administrative law enforcement jurisdiction, enhance patrol and law enforcement in deep and open sea, as well as traffic control capabilities in key waters, ensure maritime traffic safety, and safeguard national rights and interests.
It is a necessary move in response to Japan and the Philippines' unilateral announcement of the so-called "maritime delimitation talks" on the east of China's Taiwan island, which constitutes a serious violation of China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
By Sunday, the maritime law enforcement patrol flotilla consisting of patrol vessels Haixun 06, Haixun 09, and Haixun 08, as well as the rescue vessel Donghaijiu 113 had arrived in waters off the southwestern tip of the Taiwan island.
China launches maritime law enforcement operation in waters east of Taiwan island
Chinese marine engineers have kept a close eye on the conditions of coral reefs in the South China Sea by conducting regular surveys to protect marine ecosystems.
The survey team at the Sansha Marine Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources have recently carried out a survey in the waters 14 kilometers away from the Yongxing Island of the Xisha Islands.
Although the forecast indicated fine sea conditions, the team was still troubled by rain at sea -- a common situation for marine operations.
Minutes later, the rainfall stopped, and the engineers had to catch the opportune time to carry out their tasks.
"Today, the first task is to conduct a coral reef survey, and the second is to do some maintenance on a set of underwater equipment," said Zhang Yuanzhou, a marine engineer.
Despite multiple difficulties caused by rain, the team members dived into the waters to take photos of coral reefs and maintain the equipment.
During underwater operations, the engineers should be cautious about reefs and guard against possible attacks from poisonous marine creatures and undercurrents. In such circumstances, they need to cooperate with their colleagues on board to ensure safety.
At last, the team completed the tasks smoothly, saying that every time they dive, the scenery in the waters will be different.
"There were many tasks so we had to swim quickly. It took a lot of oxygen to swim back and forth. Otherwise, we even didn't want to return," Zhang said.
The engineers' efforts in coral reef protection have paid off as China's five key coral clusters have registered recovery, according to a bulletin on China's marine ecological early warning and monitoring in 2025.
Coral reef ecosystems, hailed as the "tropical rainforest of the ocean," play a significant role in maintaining marine ecological balance and biodiversity.
Chinese marine engineers closely monitor conditions of coral reefs in South China Sea
