BEIJING - A fleet of Chinese marine surveillance ships departed from Guangzhou on Monday to carry out regular patrol missions in the South China Sea, according to the State Oceanic Administration (SOA).

The fleet consists of the Haijian 84 and Haijian 72, an SOA statement issued on Wednesday said.

The regular patrols are meant to safeguard the country's marine interests, it added.

"Haijian" is the Chinese equivalent of "marine surveillance."