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China gets national island monitoring system
April 22, 2013, 8:28 am

[Xinhua]

China has committed to a code of conduct to guide its engagements in the South China sea [Xinhua]

China’s ministry of land and resources (MLR) has announced the establishment of a national island surveillance and monitoring system with complete airborne remote-sensing surveillance of its 4,406 islands.

The national system is mainly built on aerial surveillance, with satellites, unmanned planes and cruisers as auxiliary instruments, the MLR said in its annual land resources report issued on Saturday.

In April last year, China unveiled its national plan on island protection and exploration.

China has committed to a code of conduct to guide its engagements in the South China sea.

The 19th China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Senior Officials’ Consultation in April this year has resulted in all member countries agreeing to work toward a code of conduct in the South China Sea.

China has undertaken surveys, including on-site investigation in the South China Sea since 2012.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2013 held earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Asian nations to build consensus on regional stability.

“Stability in Asia now faces new challenges, as hotspot issues keep emerging, and both traditional and non-traditional security threats exist,” Xi said.

“No one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gains,” said the Chinese president.

With inputs from Xinhua