A lifeline for those in need

Tanmen's fishermen work closely with the Chinese border guards, who patrol both land and sea.

"If we're disturbed by foreign vessels or we need assistance on the open water, we call the police for help. We call about other things too, of course, such as weather forecasts."

Fu Shibao, an officer at Tanmen's border guard station, has been a lifeline between the fishermen and the border guards for 14 years. He estimated that he's taken more than 2,000 calls - habitually answering each one with a laconic, "Hi, how's it all going?" - and said he knows every boat and every fisherman in town.