The report quoted shipbuilder Haihang Group Corp Ltd as saying its cruise ship was ready to take almost 2,000 passengers on a tour of the islands. A second cruise ship was being built by Hainan Harbor and Shipping Holdings Co, the report added. <\/p>\n
\"The tour prices will be relatively high due to the high costs of tourism infrastructure construction,\" Hainan-based tour agency general manager Huang Huaru told Xinhua. <\/p>\n
Mr Tan said local authorities would build more supply ships and ports, and beef up the infrastructure in Sansha. <\/p>\n
The city was established last summer to administer more than 200 islets, sandbanks and reefs in the South China Sea, which also include the Spratly Islands and Macclesfield Bank. <\/p>\n
All the territory within the 800,000 square miles of waters under Sansha's \"control\" is disputed. The South China Sea is also home to vital shipping lanes and substantial proven and estimated oil and gas deposits. <\/p>\n
Located on Yongxing Island, Sansha is home to about 1,000 people, mainly involved in the fishing industry. <\/p>\n
Edited for Telegraph.co.uk by Barney Henderson <\/p>\n
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See original here:<\/p>\n
China to open disputed islands to tourism<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The report quoted shipbuilder Haihang Group Corp Ltd as saying its cruise ship was ready to take almost 2,000 passengers on a tour of the islands. Continue reading