"Yuzheng 312," of the fisheries administration has begun its maiden patrol in the the disputed South China Sea.
The ship, the Chinese fleet's largest in terms of displacement, left Guangzhou and sailed to the disputed Nansha Islands in the South China Sea to carry out a law enforcement mission.
The islands are also claimed by Vietnam.
The vessel has a displacement of 49.5 million tonnes and a navigation capability of 2,400 nautical miles with a maximum speed of 14 knots, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.