US dollar ticks down

The U.S. dollar weakened in late trading on Thursday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, lost 0.17 percent to 102.037 at 15:00 (1900 GMT).

In late New York trading, the euro climbed to 1.1162 dollars from 1.1150 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound was up to 1.3361 dollars from 1.3316 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 157.96 Japanese yen, lower than 158.05 Japanese yen of the previous session. The U.S. dollar fell to 0.8264 Swiss francs from 0.8290 Swiss francs, and it was down to 1.3986 Canadian dollars from 1.4021 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar dropped to 9.8608 Swedish kronor from 9.9139 Swedish kronor.

A China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel formation recently conducted law enforcement drills in the waters near the Ren'ai Jiao and Xianbin Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao (the Nansha Islands) in the South China Sea to strengthen and improve its on-site law enforcement and regulatory capabilities.

The exercise, aimed at responding to foreign vessels that have illegally entered the waters around Ren'ai Jiao and Xianbin Jiao, included reconnaissance, surveillance, route control, and tactical maneuvering of small boats.

During the exercise, a scenario was simulated in which a foreign fishing vessel entered the waters near Ren'ai Jiao and Xianbin Jiao to engage in illegal fishing. With the formation's command, two law enforcement patrol boats moved in to conduct a boarding inspection.

Officers found that the vessel had illegally fished for protected wild aquatic animals and had used electric shocks, poison, and explosives for fishing. In accordance with the law, they confiscated the vessel's fishing gear and catch, issued a warning, and expelled the vessel.

The formation also conducted water cannon drills and drone operations.

"Through this training, we further improved our preparations for responding to foreign infringements related to Ren'ai Jiao and Xianbin Jiao, and continuously enhanced the formation's tactical coordination and maritime joint operational capabilities," said Lin Weicong, a CCG officer from the formation.