By Pledging that the country will continue to carry out regular patrols in its territorial waters around the Diaoyu Islands and in the South China Sea, the State Oceanic Administration, which is responsible for overseeing and safeguarding national maritime rights and interests, has sent an unmistakable message to the outside world that the country will step up its efforts to safeguard its maritime sovereignty and oppose any infringements on its sovereignty over territorial waters.

Addressing a national conference on maritime work on Thursday, Liu Cigui, director of the administration, said the complicated situation the country is facing today has prompted the administration to take more responsibility for steadfastly maintaining the country's maritime rights and interests.

Indeed, in recent years, countries like Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam have not only lodged unwarranted claims over China's territorial waters and islands in the East China Sea and the South China Sea but also launched one farce after another to raise the temperature in these waters.