China will conduct its "routine" fishery patrols in the disputed Kalayaan (Spratly) Islands and Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) amid tensions with its neighbors over the ownership of the said islands. A report from the Chinese government's web portal said that "routine fishery administrative patrols" will be conducted "to better safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese fishermen." Wu Zhuang, chairman of the South China Sea Fishery Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture, said that carrying out routine fishery patrols in the territorial waters surrounding Kalayaan Islands will be the top priority in 2013.

Bauzon, B. C. V. (2013, February 26). China to patrol disputed sea. The Manila Times, p. A2.