Beijing will base a 5,000-ton civilian patrol ship on one of the main islands it controls in the disputed South China Sea and begin regular patrols.

Beijing will base a 5,000-ton civilian patrol ship on one of the main islands it controls in the disputed South China Sea and begin regular patrols, Reuters reported Tuesday.

The ship would be based on Woody Island, which China calls Sansha City, in the Paracel Islands, according to the China Ocean News.

It added that China will “gradually establish a regular patrol system on Sansha City to protect the country's maritime interests."

Infrastructure on the island will be built, as well as a “joint platform for sharing maritime security data.”

The move is likely to add fuel to territorial disputes with neighbors.