On June 21, 2012 (May 3, 2012, the lunar calendar), Hainan established Sansha City. On June 21, 2012, the State Council decided to establish prefecture-level Sansha City in the South China Sea; on July 17, Hainan Province passed the "Decision on the Establishment of the Preparatory Group for the People's Congress of Sansha City," marking the official launch of the establishment of political power in Sansha City. On the morning of July 24, Luo Baoming, Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, announced on Yongxing Island in Xisha that Sansha City, Hainan Province, was officially established. The Municipal Party Committee, Municipal Government, and Sansha Garrison were unveiled. The new zip code and new postmark were also put into use at the same time. Sansha City is one of the three prefecture-level cities in Hainan Province of the People's Republic of China. It is located in the South China Sea and governs the islands and reefs of the Xisha Islands, the Zhongsha Islands, and the Nansha Islands. The government residence is located on Yongxing Island in the Xisha Islands. The city is a new administrative district established in 2012 with the abolition of the Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands, and Zhongsha Islands offices in Hainan Province. Sansha City is the prefecture-level city with the southernmost location, the largest area (including sea area), the smallest land area and the smallest population in China. It is the second prefecture-level administrative region in the country after Zhoushan City to be established as a city based on an archipelago. There are 60 deputies to the First People's Congress of Sansha City, who are directly elected by voters. In 1959, the Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands, and Zhongsha Islands offices were established and were under the jurisdiction of the Hainan Administrative Region. In 1988, the Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands, and Zhongsha Islands offices were placed under the jurisdiction of the newly established Hainan Province. On November 19, 2007, Mr. Zhang, a government official of the Propaganda Department of the Wenchang City Party Committee of Hainan Province, said in a telephone interview with Hong Kong's Ming Pao that the State Council of the People's Republic of China had approved the proposal of the Hainan Provincial People's Government to upgrade the Xisha Office and establish a formal county-level city "Sansha City" to replace the Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands, and Zhongsha Islands Offices of Hainan Province to manage the three archipelago. It also said that Wenchang City, which is closest to the Xisha Islands, will undertake the supply work of Sansha City. Sansha City's logistics supply base and terminal supply base will be built in Qinglan Port in Wenchang City. Sansha City will become one of the "nine development highlights" of Wenchang City, including the satellite launch center. The Ming Pao report also said that Xie Mingzhong, Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee of Wenchang City, disclosed the news that the State Council approved the establishment of county-level cities at the plenary meeting of the Municipal Party Committee held on October 26. At that time, the word "X City" was still used to represent the unestablished county-level cities. The report also said that Yongxing Island's tourism industry will be developed in the future. After the news came to light, protests took place in Vietnam and other places. China did not announce the establishment of Sansha City that year, nor did it deny it. On June 21, 2012, the Ministry of Civil Affairs announced that the State Council had recently approved the abolition of the offices of the Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands, and Zhongsha Islands, and the establishment of prefecture-level Sansha City, with the government stationed in Yongxing Island in the Xisha Islands. On the morning of July 17, 2012, the 32nd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Fourth Hainan Province People's Congress adopted the "Decision of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Province People's Congress on the Establishment of the Preparatory Group for the People's Congress of Sansha City." The establishment of political power in Sansha City was officially launched. On July 19, 2012, the Central Military Commission approved the Guangzhou Military Region and agreed to establish the "Sansha Garrison of Hainan Province of China People's Liberation Army", which is mainly responsible for national defense mobilization and militia reserve work in the Sansha City District, coordinating military-civilian relations, undertaking urban policing tasks, supporting local rescue and disaster relief, and commanding militia and reserve forces to carry out military operations. On the same day, the preparatory group for the First People's Congress of Sansha City was established and will produce 60 elected deputies to the National People's Congress. On July 23, 2012, the First People's Congress of Sansha City opened. A total of 45 representatives from the Xisha Islands, Zhongsha Islands and Nansha Islands attended the meeting. On the morning of July 24, 2012, the founding meeting and unveiling ceremony of Sansha City was held on Yongxing Island. The 68-ton Sansha City Monument was officially unveiled on Yongxing Island. The Sansha City People's Government, Party Committee, People's Congress and the People's Liberation Army Sansha Garrison were established. At the same time, new zip codes and postmarks will be activated, and the brands of banks, hospitals and other institutions will be replaced. Since then, Sansha City was officially established.