Special to WorldTribune.com

By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com

The People’s Liberation Army has beefed up its naval infrastructure the better to stake out China’s claim as a “maritime strong power.”

Sources close to the military establishment said that President Xi Jinping, who is also commander-in-chief, recently set up a Central Leading Group on Upholding Maritime Rights within the topmost echelon of the Chinese Communist Party. At the same time, the State Council or central government established a State Maritime Commission.

The two super-agencies will coordinate efforts by military and civilian departments to pursue goals including research and development of naval hardware as well as the deployment of resources in neighboring oceans to back up China’s sovereignty claims.

Moreover, three maritime police districts (MPD), namely the Qingdao, Shanghai and Guangzhou MPDs have come on stream to boost Chinese patrols in contested waters particularly in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

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