The National Library of China on Friday opened a branch in Sansha, the youngest Chinese city that administers areas in the South China Sea.

The opening of the branch is part of efforts by Chinese cultural authorities to establish community service offices on islands under Sansha's jurisdiction.

The Sansha branch, the first unit the National Library established outside Beijing, has around 3,000 books, as well as two electronic newspaper-reading devices that can access 200 newspapers.

The Ministry of Culture said on the same day that a public electronic reading room has been established in another library in the city.

Home to about 1,000 residents, Sansha was officially set up as China's youngest city in July last year to administer about 2-million-square-km islands, coastal areas and territorial seas in the South China Sea.

The city of Sansha gets its name from three island groups under its jurisdiction -- Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha -- and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea.

The Sansha city government is seated on Yongxing Island.

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