Chinese naval patrols have been authorized to search and repel ships that “illegally enter” an area in the South China Sea through which much of the region’s commercial vessels pass, the state news media reported Thursday. Beginning Jan. 1, said the official China Daily, the authorities in Hainan Province can board ships that “trespass” through the area, which has become the focus of a territorial dispute involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries. The patrols will be authorized to force foreign ships to change course, China Daily said, citing a law passed Tuesday by provincial lawmakers in Hainan, which China says has jurisdiction over the...
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