Beijing to step up aerial surveys of disputed islands

The State Oceanic Administration (SOA) will conduct regular aerial patrols over all islands claimed by China, intensifying air and sea surveillance in the East and South China seas.

The SOA recently issued instructions for patrols that will be supported by high-resolution aerial photography and video, and new aerial remote sensing technology. The most important islands will be surveyed at least twice a year, Xinhua reported.

According to the 11-point set of instructions, aircraft will also photograph uncontested islands, both inhabited and uninhabited, at least once a year. A minimum of three photos must be taken of each island on each trip, it added.

Islands outside the air defence identification zone in the East China Sea would be monitored once a year by radar remote sensing, Xinhua said.

SOA aircraft would also gather information about infrastructure development on key islets in the area of the South China sea administered by Sansha , a prefectural-level city set up two years ago by Hainan province. Its establishment drew protests from Vietnam and the Philippines, which also claim islands and reefs in the resource-rich sea.

Notice of the surveys comes after Beijing said it would base a 5,000-tonne patrol ship at Sansha on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands - known as the Xisha Islands in China and Hoang Sa Islands in Vietnam - to conduct regular patrols.