Fisherman, 81, says others came to islands late

When Su Chengfen started his fishing life at the age of 13, there were no traces of foreigners in the Nansha Islands.

"I never heard my grandfather or father talking about seeing foreign fishermen when they came home from the Xisha and Nansha islands," said the 81-year-old captain, who lives in Qionghai, Hainan province.

"When I first went to the Nansha Islands in 1948, I also did not see any foreigners from countries claiming the islands today, such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia," Su told China Daily.