Municipality created to boost China's maritime rights
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E-mail CNTV, July 29, 2015
The city of Sansha was officially established in Hainan province in 2012. Our reporter Han Bin recently went into the heart of the city, and the heart of the South China Sea debate to find out the challenges for Sansha, and the changes it has brought to the Chinese fishermen who live there.
As territorial frictions with neighboring countries over the islands continue to heat up, China established Sansha city in 2012, to strengthen its foothold.
Based on Yongxing Island, the city provides an outpost to help safeguard the country's maritime rights and interests.
The name Sansha means three sandbanks, a reference to the Chinese names for the island chains of the West, Middle and South banks of the vast waters of the South China Sea. The establishment of the city is part of China's administrative plan and long-term strategy in the area's disputed waters.
Sansha's first mayor Xiao Jie has the urgent, challenging task of protecting his jurisdiction.
He believes one of the most effective means in defending the country's maritime rights, is to strengthen civil law enforcement.
China claims its southernmost boundary is at Zengmu Ansha, or James Shoal, at four degrees north latitude Sansha's jurisdiction covers some 2 million square kilometers of water.
Some 2,000 Chinese fishermen make their living in the South China Sea.
And most of them belong to the local militia.
Patrolling the disputed waters is now routine.
This is to prevent Chinese fishermen from being harassed by foreign ships.
He Zhuang says they will support the Sansha government in the efforts to safeguard sovereignty in the South China Sea.
And they are determined to fish in even tougher waters ahead.
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