China Coast Guard conducts law enforcement patrols in waters near Ren'ai Jiao, Xianbin Jiao in South China Sea

A China Coast Guard (CCG) fleet continues law enforcement patrols in the waters near the Ren'ai Jiao and Xianbin Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) in the South China Sea as usual during the ongoing National Day holiday, safeguarding peace and tranquility in the sea areas.

The Ren'ai Jiao and Xianbin Jiao are both parts of China's Nansha Qundao, and have always been China's territory. China has indisputable sovereignty over them. The CCG therefore conducts regular patrols, management and control in the waters throughout the year.

As the country celebrates the National Day which falls on Oct 1, the CCG officers are sticking to their post to carry out rights protection and law enforcement operations in the South China Sea.

"During the holiday, we will stand firm on the front lines of law enforcement and rights protection, and stay on high alert at all times. We have stepped up aerial surveillance to ensure that we could detect any emergency immediately, assess the situation and respond promptly," said Wu Chenxi, a CCG officer.

Besides conducting regular patrols, the fleet will also carry out various drills, including formation sailing and interception and containment exercises. At the same time, the fleet will take control measures to expel any foreign vessels that illegally intrude into waters near the Ren'ai Jiao and Xianbin Jiao.

On Thursday morning, the law enforcement officers lined up in formation on the deck to hold a solemn national flag-raising ceremony to mark the National Day.

China Coast Guard conducts law enforcement patrols in waters near Ren'ai Jiao, Xianbin Jiao in South China Sea

China's private sector posted its fastest growth in months in September, according to data released Wednesday by RatingDog, a financial technology and credit research firm based in Shenzhen City, south China.

The RatingDog manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which tracks smaller private companies, came in at 52.1, indicating the fastest factory output growth since April and 10 consecutive months of expansion, supported by rising new domestic and overseas orders.

The services sector expanded at the fastest pace in three months, driven primarily by new businesses.

All of this pushed the comprehensive PMI reading up to 52.4, in turn boosting overall business confidence. However, analysts noted that fierce market competition has sparked price wars among many companies, warning that profit margins could be squeezed further in the coming months.

China's RatingDog PMI for September points to fastest private sector expansion in months