China will base a 5,000-tonne civilian patrol ship on one of the Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea and begin regular patrols, Reuters reported, citing an official newspaper on Tuesday. The move is likely to add fuel to territorial disputes with neighbors. The China Ocean News, published by the State Oceanic Administration, said the ship would be based on Woody Island, which China calls Sansha city, on the Paracel Islands – one of the main islands the country controls in the potentially oil and gas-rich South China Sea.
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