Two cruise fleets including 6 China Marine surveillance ships have arrived in the waters around the Diaoyu Islands.

The Chinese patrol ships have been sent to conduct law enforcement duties. It’s the first surveillance patrol task to be carried out after the Chinese government declared its official baselines of the territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands and their affiliated islets.

The action aims to assert China’s sovereignty claims over the islands and uphold China’s maritime interests in the area.