BEIJING - China will equip one of its major maritime law enforcement bodies with more vessels to protect its national interests, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) said Friday.

A total of 36 patrol vessels are being built and will be put into operation under China Marine Surveillance, a maritime law enforcement agency under the SOA, over the next one to two years, said Liu Cigui, SOA director.

The agency's vessels most recently confronted Philippine warships near the Huangyan Island in the South China Sea in early April.

The ships fully exercised their duty to safeguard China's sovereignty and maritime interests, Liu said.

The agency has more than 400 law enforcement vessels.

In addition to patrols, China also protects its maritime interests with a monitoring system consisting of satellites, airborne remote sensors and cameras, Liu said.