The newly established city of Sansha will soon have its own local People's Congress. The prefectural- level city is on Yongxing Island in the Xisha Island group and was set up to better administer Chinese territories in the South China Sea.

The Standing Committee of the Hainan provincial National People's Congress unanimously voted to create a preparatory group. The group will set up a 60-member election committee. It will also prepare for the first session of the Sansha People's Congress, which will elect the city's mayor, chief justice and chief procurator.

Sansha is on Yongxing Island in the Xisha Islands group.

Sansha was approved to be established in June, by the State Council after Vietnam passed the country's law of the sea which includes Xisha and Nansha Islands under its jurisdiction. Hainan Province abolished the county-level Administration Office for Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha Islands and set up Sansha city to better coordinate the three islands' efforts to protect Chinese territory.