The State Council Information Office on Tuesday issued a white paper to stress the important duty for the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to resolutely safeguard the country's maritime rights and interests.

"China is a major maritime as well as land country. The seas and oceans provide immense space and abundant resources for the country's sustainable development, which are of vital importance to the people's wellbeing and China's future," says the white paper on "the diversified employment of China's armed forces."

It is an essential national development strategy to exploit, utilize and protect the seas and oceans, and build China into a maritime power, the white paper says.

In combination with its routine combat readiness activities, the PLA navy provides security support for China's maritime law enforcement, fisheries, and oil and gas exploitation, it says.

It has established mechanisms to coordinate and cooperate with law-enforcement organs of marine surveillance and fishery administration, as well as a joint military-police-civilian defense mechanism, it says.

Moreover, the PLA navy has worked in coordination with relevant local departments to conduct maritime survey and scientific investigation; build systems of maritime meteorological observation, satellite navigation, radio navigation and navigation aids; release timely weather and sea traffic information; and ensure the safe flow of traffic in sea areas of responsibility, it adds.

According to the white paper, together with the marine surveillance and fishery administration departments, the PLA navy has conducted joint maritime exercises and drills for protecting rights and enforcing laws, and enhanced its capabilities to coordinate command and respond to emergencies in joint military-civilian operations to safeguard maritime rights.

In October 2012, the "Donghai Collaboration-2012" joint exercise was held in the East China Sea, involving 11 ships and eight planes.

As an important armed maritime law-enforcement body, the border public security force exercises jurisdiction over both violations of laws, rules and regulations relating to public security administration and suspected crimes committed in China's internal waters, territorial seas, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones and continental shelf, says the white paper.

In recent years, the border public security force has endeavored to guarantee the security of sea areas, strengthened patrols, surveillance and management along the sea boundary in the Beibu Gulf and around the Xisha sea areas, and effectively maintained maritime public order and stability, it says.