China's northeastern province of Liaoning, which shares land and maritime borders with North Korea, is equipping its fishing boats with "black box" voyage recorders to better protect its maritime boundary and ensure the safety of fishermen, according to a state-run media report on Wednesday.
  

The brief report, published by China's Xinhua news agency on its website on Monday, made no mention of North Korea, but the measure comes amid continued fishing disputes between North Korea and China.
  

Liaoning's coastguard authorities are equipping fishing vessels with voyage recorders "for border control and safety of fishermen," the report said, citing a Chinese coastguard official named Liu Haitao.
  

Last September, North Korea seized a Chinese ship that was allegedly fishing illegally in its waters in the Yellow Sea, located between the Korean Peninsula and China. North Korea imposed a heavy fine on the Chinese ship's operator but released its six Chinese crew members.
  

On Jan. 23 this year, a Hong Kong-based newspaper, Wen Wei Po, reported that Liaoning's fishermen were injured from high-handed actions by North Korean coastguard officials. (Yonhap)