AKIPRESS.COM - A Chinese government bureau is planning a base station for an advanced rescue ship in the disputed Spratly Islands, as China continues its push to develop civilian and military infrastructure in the contentious region, Reuters reports.

The ship, which would carry drones and underwater robots, is set to be deployed in the second half of the year, according to Chen Xingguang, political commissar of the ship, which is under the South China Sea Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport.

The civilian bureau has 31 ships and four helicopters conducting rescue missions in the South China Sea, and officials from the department said they work with the military on such efforts.

Officials said the rescue ship base station would enable rescue forces to aid fishing boats in trouble, and shorten the distance they need to travel.

It is unclear on which island the ship will be based, but China has carried out land reclamation and construction on several islands in the Spratly Archipelago, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Washington has accused Beijing of militarizing the South China Sea after creating artificial islands, while Beijing, in turn, has criticized increased U.S. naval patrols and exercises in Asia.