State-owned China COSCO Shipping Corp plans to start sailing to disputed islands in the South China Sea next month.
The inaugural cruise will depart Sanya port and call at the disputed Paracel Islands, which Vietnam and Taiwan also lays claim to.
China says it has sovereignty over about 90% of the South China Sea while Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims over territorial waters and islands.
"It is practical to stimulate the local economy through development of tourism, logistics and infrastructure facilities," Chins COSCO chairman Xu Lirong said, as quoted by China Daily.
Earlier this year the company signed a partnership with China National Travel Service Group Corp and China Communications Construction Co Ltd to establish a joint venture for ‘patriotic cruises.’
COSCO also aims to expand to offer cruises throughout the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits as it seeks to become China’s first true domestic cruise brand.
The Chinese government has already indicated it plans to develop some of the disputed islands into beach resort destinations such as those found throughout the Maldives.
