China's Fisheries Administration has reportedly initiated regular patrols of the South China Sea. On April 25 China sent two vessels to take over two other vessels escorting Chinese fishing vessels in the area of the Spratly Islands.
According to a joint report by the Jakarta Globe and the Asian Sentinel, the Chinese Administration has said that the purpose of the patrol was to "reinforce" Chinese rights, which the publications interpreted to include prevent fishing by non-Chinese.
The waters around the Spratly Islands has been a source of dispute between China and Vietnam. China claims the islands as Nansha; Vietnam claims them as Truong Sa.
Besides their rich natural resources of oil, gas and fish, China reportedly wishes to gain effective control of the shipping lanes which cross routes to Japan, southeast Asa, south Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Bilateral deals have not been able to resolve the dispute and the Vietnamese have been working towards building international support for their cause.
Last November, Vietnam organised a workshop on the issue in Hanoi. Participants came from China, France, Russia, Britain, and Indonesia.
