PLAN SCS Bases/Islands/Vessels (Not a Strategy Page)

Currently, there is an existing operator of cruises to Xisha Islands.
This new competitor will give the Chinese customer more choices which will result in better value...

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China Daily, June 21, 2016


Tourists at the Xisha Islands, Hainan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]


China COSCO Shipping Corp, which owns the world's largest fleet of specialized carriers and multipurpose vessels, plans to launch cruise lines in the South China Sea next month.

The first route is expected to travel from Sanya to the Yongle Island, part of the Xisha Islands in Hainan province.

"It is practical to stimulate the local economy through development of tourism, logistics and infrastructure facilities," Xu Lirong, chairman of COSCO Shipping, said over the weekend at the Boao Forum for Entrepreneurs in Boao, Hainan province.

China COSCO Shipping signed a contract with China National Travel Service (HK) Group Corp and China Communications Construction Co Ltd in late April, to jointly establish a cruise company to offer tourism services in the South China Sea.

They will share resources and management expertise to provide cruise services to major islands of the Xisha. They will also work together in areas such as operating multimodal transportation, cruise ships, wharves and ports, storage and logistics.

Under the framework, the cruises will be managed by Dalian-based COSCO Shipping Ferry Co Ltd.

The COSCO Shipping subsidiary, however, does have a competitor on this route. Hainan Strait Shipping Co Ltd has been operating cruise services between Sanya and the Xisha Islands for more than two years. The Haikou-based ferry company operated 48 voyages carrying 8,430 people to the Xisha Islands.

Dong Liwan, a professor at Shanghai Maritime University, said that even though shipping, tourism and construction companies are enthusiastic about developing the cruise market in the South China Sea, they must be aware that it still takes time and resources to improve service and logistics facilities in those islands.

Yongshu Island, June 3, 2016

A couple of newer pictures, both are dated June 16, 2016.


Zhubi (Subi) Island. Size is 1284 x 1077. Construction is still on-going but the reclamation has stopped.


Yongshu Island. Size is 1005 x 921.

Two more lighthouses from China on the way.

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CRI, June 7, 2016

It's been reported that lighthouses on two reefs in the South China Sea will be put into use at the end of the year.

Workers are stepping up the construction of the two lighthouses on Meiji and Yongshu reefs.

They were designed to provide navigation services such as positioning reference and navigation safety information to ships in the vicinity.

The lighthouse on Meiji Reef is over 60 meters high and is the tallest of all the structures on the Nansha Islands.

It has a range of over 20 nautical miles.

Meanwhile, a modern hospital will also be completed on Yongshu Reef later this month.

In April, China finished the construction of a lighthouse on Zhubi Reef, also in the South China Sea area.

The lighthouse on Meiji to start operation soon......

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2016-07-11 08:29 | China Daily | Editor: Wang Fan

China will start operation of its fifth lighthouse in the South China Sea soon, it was announced on Sunday.

Xu Ruqing, head of China's Maritime Safety Administration, said construction of the lighthouse on Meiji Reef is almost complete.

China started to build lighthouses in the South China Sea in May last year, with four now in use on Huayang, Chigua, Zhubi and Yongshu reefs. The most recent project went into operation on Yongshu Reef on June 25.

Speaking in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, at an event to mark China Maritime Day, Xu said all five lighthouses are 50 to 55 meters tall and are equipped with the Automatic Identification System, a tool used around the world for marine communication.

The system allows vessels in surrounding waters to receive up-to-date information and send messages to the lighthouses to ask for assistance, he said.

Xu said construction of the lighthouses reflects China's dedication to its responsibility of boosting navigational safety in the South China Sea, a critical maritime and trade corridor linking the Pacific and Indian oceans.

"The five lighthouses will work like the other 2,000 or so lighthouses in China's coastal regions, providing nonstop navigational services for maritime and rescue activities," he said.

Zheng Heping, another official with the administration, added that China will improve the construction of navigational facilities in the sea to improve its capacity for maritime rescue and environmental protection.

The administration will focus on placing beacons at key points of the main international channel in the South China Sea, double-checking data on water depth and meeting the navigational demands of ships, he said.

Li Wen, a beacon expert with more than 60 years' experience, said China has had to innovate to find ways to build lighthouses in areas of the sea that are usually too shallow for such structures.

China is fulfilling its responsibilities to ensure safety in the international navigation channel by setting up the lighthouses in the South China Sea, he said, adding that the international community will benefit from the facilities.

New York Times reporter and his motley crew of Phillipino fishermen play cat and mouse with the Chinese coast guard and almost get their boat submerged. The US should try to get some protection for these reporters.

jkliz said:

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New York Times reporter and his motley crew of Phillipino fishermen play cat and mouse with the Chinese coast guard and almost get their boat submerged. The US should try to get some protection for these reporters.

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Yah send in Captain America, that will be enough protection for these reporters!

jkliz said:

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New York Times reporter and his motley crew of Phillipino fishermen play cat and mouse with the Chinese coast guard and almost get their boat submerged. The US should try to get some protection for these reporters.

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And what exactly do you propose US do to "protect" reporters or anyone else who place themselves in harms way?

Blackstone said:

And what exactly do you propose US do to "protect" reporters or anyone else who place themselves in harms way?

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Maybe bodyguards? Military escorts? Maybe a US LCS in the area to make sure reporters don't get harassed.

jkliz said:

Maybe bodyguards? Military escorts? Maybe a US LCS in the area to make sure reporters don't get harassed.

Click to expand...

And what exactly do you say US naval ships should do if Chinese Coast Guard cutters ram Filipino ships or inflatable CCG boats pushes a Filipino boats away? Ram the Chinese ships? Fire on the cutters? Machine gun the CCG inflatable boats?

Get real!