GUANGZHOU,
April 14 (Xinhua) -- A marine inspection vessel in south China's Guangdong
Province started its voyage Tuesday to join a patrol operation in the South
China Sea.
The "Haixun-31" left the Zhuhai port for Sanya, a
port in the southern-most island province of Hainan, local maritime officials
said.
The vessel will join the largest-ever joint marine
inspection in mid April launched by the maritime authorities in Guangdong,
Hainan and Shanghai. The ship, along with Guangdong's "Haibiao-32"and Shanghai's
"Haixun-21", are the main forces in the joint operation.
The patrol aims to monitor the sea environment, check
the main sea routes, route markings and other facilities on the sea and ensure
shipping order and safety.
