ABOARD HAIJIAN 83 - A Chinese patrol team has reached reefs and islands in the center of the Nansha Islands in order to conduct closer observations during a patrol mission in the South China Sea.

The team, consisting of four China Marine Surveillance ships, reached the area on Tuesday morning when radar suggested the presence of a foreign fishing vessel nearby.

According to the team, Chinese patrol staff immediately broadcast a statement in Chinese, English and Thai to proclaim sovereignty of the Xisha Islands and Nansha Islands.

Since taking off from South China's coastal city of Sanya on June 26, the team has sailed more than 2,000 nautical miles.