The regulation was jointly issued by the SOA, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Headquarters of the General Staff of Chinese People's Liberation Army on June 17 this year.

The regulation lays out strict measures on the protection of uninhabited islands around the base points of China's territorial waters and prohibits activities that might damage the islands.

It says uninhabited islands belong to the nation, and organizations and individuals must apply for approval if they want to use the islands.

An SOA official said China's island administration had, for a long time, been relatively weak, and disorderly exploitation of uninhabited islands had caused worsening damage to natural resources and the environment.

Disorderly exploitation also harmed the national interest and posed a threat to national defense and military security, said the official.

"The issuing and enacting of the regulation is a very good reinforcement of China's existing oceanic laws and will be conducive to maintaining order of uninhabited island exploitation, protecting the ocean environment, and safeguarding China's national interests," said the official.

China has more than 6,000 islands each with an area larger than 500 square meters, of which 94 percent are uninhabited.

(Xinhua News Agency July 1, 2003)