China is expected to soon launch its largest coastguard patrol vessel, which could give Beijing a considerable edge in its disputes with Japan over a group of uninhabited rocks in the East China Sea, Beijing based news website Guancha.cn reported on Monday. The new vessel will have a displacement of 12,000 tonnes, the website reported. A photo leaked online at the weekend shows the giant ship moored at a shipyard in a state of near-completion. The ship is painted white with the blue-and-red-stripe insignia of the Chinese coastguard, and the name "China Coast Guard 2901" painted on its side. Upon completion, the ship will surpass the Japan Coast Guard’s two Shikishima-class patrol ships to become the world’s largest coastguard patrol vessel, Chinese media have said. The US icebreaker Healy remains the largest coastguard vessel in the world, with a displacement of 16,000 tonnes, but it primarily conducts scientific research missions in polar regions. Japan's largest Shikishima-class vessel has a full load displacement of about 9,300 tonnes, while China’s largest existing patrol ship, the Haijian 50, displaces just under 4,000 tonnes. Previous Chinese media reports have said the ship would be fitted with a 76mm quick-firing main gun, two secondary guns and two anti-aircraft guns, and could carry two helicopters on board. The new patrol vessel will be operated by China Coast Guard, which was established last year to perform maritime research, rescue and patrol operations and is likely to be deployed in the East China Sea, where China and Japan have been involved in an ongoing territorial dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands. Earlier media reports identified the shipmaker as China Shipping Industry Corporation (CSIC), one of the country’s two shipping giants. But new photos leaked online show the ship docking at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai - a subsidiary of the State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). In January, the Beijing Times reported that CSIC had secured a 280-million-yuan (HK$356 million) contract to build two marine surveillance vessels – a 10,000-tonne and a 4,000-tonne patrol ship – but it took down the announcement on its website shortly after the report and refused to comment on the matter. Both Jiangnan Shipyard and CSSC could not be reached for comment. The online photos also showed a type-071 amphibious transport dock was being constructed at the shipyard, which can accommodate helicopters, vehicle decks and barracks for marine infantry.
