China will offer its first regular civilian cruises to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea by 2020, state media said Wednesday, a move likely to irk other claimants to the disputed waters.

The island province of Hainan will operate regular trips to the Spratlys, which China calls the Nansha Islands, in response to increasing demand, the official China Daily newspaper said, citing provincial authorities.

Since 2013, China has run cruises to the Paracels, known as the Xisha Islands in Chinese. China has controlled the Paracels, which are nearer its coast than the Spratlys, since the 1970s.

...