The first People’s Congress of the newly created city of Sansha has kicked off. Sansha is a new prefecture-level city.

Xiaojie has been elected as the city’s first mayor. 45 deputies elected from 1,100 residents participated in the election.

The city government will be located on Yongxing Island, which lies around 330 kilometers south of China’s Hainan Province. The Hainan Provincial Maritime Bureau is going to carry out regular patrols in waters around the island to safeguard the country’s maritime sovereignty.

Meanwhile, the Central Military Commission has also approved the establishment of a security area in Sansha, whose responsibilities include national defense mobilization. The State Council approved the establishment of Sansha in June to administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha Islands and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea.