China boosting control of South China Sea with advanced new coastguard ship, extending its overmatch over area rivals like the Philippines China’s Zhaotou-class coastguard vessel. Photo: China Military Blog (Written by Gabriel Honrada . Originally published here in Asia Times , republished with permission.) China is upping its game in the South China Sea with a formidable new coastguard vessel poised to assert its wide-ranging territorial claims. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP)