Guangzhou Shipyard International Company is to build the nation's largest ocean-going patrol ship Ocean Patroller 3 for the China Maritime Affairs Administration after four years of research and experimentation and will have a displacement size of 3,000 tons.

The building of the hull is expected to cost 150 million yuan (about US$18 million) with the total cost reaching (including additional equipment such as a helicopter) 200 million yuan (about US$24 million).

The ship will have responsibility to administer law enforcement, national rights and interests and safeguard international conventions. It will also engage in marine patrol, maritime security; responding to accidents at sea, pollution monitoring and control and lifesaving activities.

Currently China's present patrol ships are only able to navigate the estuary of the Pearl River, being prevented from going out into the South China Sea due to hazardous conditions.

Ocean Patroller 31 will be able to endure force 11 gales and take on water without sinking enabling the successful traversing of dangerous waters. It will also have capability to allow helicopters to take-off and land in scale-5 waves.

(China.org.cn by Feng Yikun, March 24, 2003)