Typhoon Bebinca, the seventeenth tropical storm of the year, is building up near the Philippines and will affect east Chinese ocean in coming hours, a meteorological report said Tuesday.

According to the China Meteorological administration, Bebinca, packing maximum winds of 18 meters per second, was in shape at latitude 16.3 north and longitude 130.7 east by 5 PM on Tuesday and is moving north at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour.

The meteorological authority warned fishing boats and ships to steer away from the storm's route as high winds are expected in the area 550 kilometers away from the eye of the moving storm.

Strong winds or gales will especially hit the Taiwan strait, East China Sea from late Tuesday to Wednesday night, the report said.

Bebinca came as Typhoon Xangsane left China after it slashed southeastern Asian countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines, killing scores of people.

(Xinhua News Agency October 4, 2006)