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The Zhaotou-class patrol cutter is the largest patrol cutter of the China Coast Guard. It is also the largest coast guard cutter in the world, surpassing the previous record holder, the Japanese Shikishima-class patrol vessel.

Development
According to Chinese media, the development of the Zhaotou-class began around December 2012, before the formation of the China Coast Guard under the State Oceanic Administration. The chief engineer of Jiangnan Shipyard, Hu Keyi, stated that the company was contracted to build two 10,000-ton maritime patrol vessels. On January 2014, Beijing Daily and Global Times reported that the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), parent company of Jiangnan Shipyard, posted on their website that they signed contact in 2013 to build two maritime patrol vessels, one of which is 10,000 tons. The information about the contract was later removed from the website. The contract is stated to be worth 280 million Yuan. Japanese media also reported that China purchased 40 German MAN high-power diesel engines in 2013 to power future coast guard vessels, including the 10,000-ton vessels.

History
The first ship, Haijing or CCG 2901, finished construction sometime in late 2014. It set sailed for the first time on May 19, 2015; being deployed to the East China Sea. The number "2" in the serial number denotes that the ship is under the East China Sea branch of the China Coast Guard.

The second ship, Haijing or CCG 3901, finished construction on January 2016. It is deployed to the South China Sea. On May 2017, the CCG 3901 completed its first patrol in the South China Sea. The vessel spent 19 days patrolling and visiting in and around Chinese-held islands in the sea. The ship carried a crew of 17 law enforcement personnel and operated two unspecified UAVs.

Design
The most noticeable aspect of this class of patrol ships is its massive size. The Zhaotou-class is 165 m in length, over 20 m in beam, and has an empty displacement of 10,000 tons, with a full displacement of 12,000 tons. In comparison, the Japanese Shikishima-class has a gross tonnage of 6,500 tons, with a full displacement of 9,350 tons (7,175 tons for gross tonnage). During the Zhaotou's development, China's then-largest patrol vessel, Haijian 50, displaced only 4,000 tons. The ships also dwarfs the US Navy's Ticonderoga-class cruiser and Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, being described as about 50 percent bigger than the former. The large size gives the vessel abundant fuel and supplies to carry out extended missions in vast open waters.

The Zhaotou-class is armed with an H/PJ-26 76 mm naval gun, two 30 mm auxiliary guns, and two anti-aircraft machine guns. The ships can travel a top speed of 25 knots and a range of over 10,000 nautical miles. The estimated range is believed to be 15,000 nautical miles. Each vessel can carry two Z-8 helicopters and several boats. The Zhaotou-class possess a large helicopter platform and hanger to accommodate large Z-8 helicopters. The vessel is speculated to be powered by MAN high-power diesel engines.

Media coverage and analysis
Due to the exceptionally large size of the Zhaotou-class ships, the vessels have gained large media attention, with various media outlets referring to them as "monsters" or "mega-cutters". Contrary to media coverage, it is not the largest coast guard vessel in the world; that record belongs to the USCGC Healy (WAGB-20). Observers have noted that the large size of the Zhaotou-class gives it an intimidating factor over neighboring coast guards and foreign vessels. This is due to contests of ramming being observed between ships in disputed maritime regions where China is involved. A Zhaotou-class' large size would deter ships from ramming it or chase away foreign vessels in fear of getting rammed by it. This is especially true in the South China Sea, where China holds supremacy over the countries in the disputed region.

In an interview with Global Times, Wang Xiaopeng, a maritime border expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that the vessels serves as a "shield and sword" to China's claims in the East China Sea and South China Sea disputes. The Diplomat similarly voiced that the vessels would likely help solidify China's maritime claims due to the China Coast Guard playing a much more active role in the disputes than the navy. The Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC) believes that the ships represents the culmination of China's shipbuilding expansion and policy changes to the China Coast Guard. The think tank also noted the significance of the ships possessing naval guns, indicating that China is adopting a more aggressive stance towards it maritime disputes. Previous Chinese coast guard ships were either unarmed, lightly armed, or simply equipped with just water cannons. CIMSEC concluded that the ships would likely escalate tensions further in the Senkaku Islands dispute and the South China Sea dispute.

The construction of the Zhaotou-class has been speculated to be a response to Japan's Shikishima-class patrol vessels and for the China Coast Guard to match, if not, surpass the Japan Coast Guard. The Shikishima-class was previous record holder for the world's largest coast cutter; dwarfing any of China's coast guard ships before the Zhaotou's introduction. The two class of ships are often compared with each other, with observers noting that in terms of design, function, and capabilities, the Zhaotou-class somewhat parallels with that of the Shikishima-class. Japan, likewise, procured three additional Shikishima-class vessels between 2016-2018 due to the need to "strengthen security around the Senkaku islands".

Others have expressed confusion over the rational for the Zhaotou-class' construction to surpass the Shikishima-class, other than it being a point of pride for China. China's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is noted to be smaller than Japan's, even when taking into account Taiwan and the disputed maritime regions China claims. This means Chinese coast guard ships wouldn't be required to conduct long range patrols compared to Japan. Additionally, procuring smaller patrol ships are noted to offer better technical advantages, as additional Zhaotou-class is unlikely to be procured due to the large cost to procure and operate such vessels, as well as the large size requiring additional berthing requirements. Moreover, smaller patrol ships can still fulfill the same missions as the Zhaotou-class.