China has shown off its largest and most advanced dredging vessel — which it calls "a magic island-maker" — state-run media reported Saturday.
The dredger, the same kind of vessel used to create several China-held islets in the disputed South China Sea, was launched Friday at a port in eastern Jiangsu province, the China Daily newspaper said.
"With a full displacement of 17,000 metric tons, the 140-meter-long ship is capable of dredging as much as 6,000 cubic meters of sand or clay per hour from 35 meters below the water's surface, a capacity that means it could dig three standard swimming pools in an hour," the paper said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.