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China Christens 14,000-ton Medical Rescue Ship to Shore up its International
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Ralph Jennings

   TAIPEI, TAIWAN - China has finished work on a 14,300-ton medical
   vessel, dubbed the "Peace Ark," that can rescue distressed foreign
   boats, possibly in Asia's most heavily disputed sea, and help improve
   Beijing's tattered reputation among regional governments.

   Beijing has upset a swathe of Asia since 2010 by landfilling small
   islets in the contested South China Sea for military use. Brunei,
   Malaysia, Taiwan Vietnam and the Philippines all overlap parts of the
   Chinese claims to the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea. China calls
   about 90% of the sea its own.

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