New vessel to supply South China Sea islands

HAIKOU, Jan. 5 -- A new supply ship set sail Monday from Hainan Island for Sansha City on its maiden voyage to islands in the vast South China Sea.

Sansha I is the largest and most advanced vessel to supply the islets in the South China Sea, helping with efforts to defend China' "blue territory" and protecting its interests in the sea.

"The Sansha I can cover all of the South China Sea and reach more islets and reefs in the remote Zhongsha and Nansha groups," said Feng Wenhai, vice mayor of Sansha.

Sansha I, 122 meters long and 21 meters wide, has a displacement of 7,800 tonnes. The rollon-rolloff vessel can accommodate up to 456 people and carry 20 standard container trailers, cover 6,000 nautical miles without docking and has a top speed of 19 knots. It has a helicopter pad to help in rescue missions.

Sailing time between Wenchang on Hainan Island and Sansha's seat of government at Yongxing Island will be reduced from 15 hours to about 10. Sansha I will make a round trip once a week. Before new ship was commissioned, the supply vessel Qiongsha III was the only lifeline, shipping basic necessities like fresh water, food, diesel and building materials.

The capacity of Sansha I is four times that of Qiongsha III, which will continue to shuttle between Hainan and the islets in the South China Sea.

China's southernmost and youngest city, Sansha was established in July 2012 to administer more than 200 islets, sandbanks and reefs in the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha groups as well as two million square kilometers of surrounding waters.

From wooden boats to iron ships, generations of Chinese fishermen have lived and fished in the South China Sea. The potential catch in waters administered by Sansha adds up to five million tonnes.

The sea's oil reserves are estimated to be as much as 30 billion tonnes, with gas reserves believed to total about 20 trillion cubic meters.

Since it was established, Sansha has been building infrastructure on its islets and reefs and the number of residents, workers and visitors is increasing steadily. The city relies heavily on supplies shipped from Hainan and the mainland, more than 300 kilometers away.

RAPID EXPANSION

Home to about 1,000 residents, Yongxing Island has taken the shape of a small city after over two years of construction.

There are roads, hotels, restaurants, bars, a coffeehouse and a hospital on the once desolated island. Four desalinators provide about 200 tonnes of water each day. A school is under construction.

Lured by favorable land and fiscal measures, over 60 companies are operating in Sansha, covering finance, logistics, entertainment, agriculture and fisheries.