China has temporarily suspended fishing authorization for its commercial fishing vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Gulf due to increasing tensions in the Gulf region.
The prompt measure was announced yesterday by a Chinese panel on inter-ministerial oceanic fishery co-operation, composed of officials from the ministries of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation, of Agriculture, of Foreign Affairs and of Communications.
The panel said, in the interest of safeguarding the lives and property of fishery firms and personnel, Chinese fishing vessels and other fishing-related cooperative schemes in the region are officially warned to withdraw from the two above sea areas, and those not yet in the region are definitely not authorized to enter the region.
The panel will maintain the suspension as long as necessary in accordance with the developments of the current situation.
(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2003)
