The sister who 'makes waves'

China's first female captain of a public oceangoing ship talks rescue missions and life on the high seas, Zheng Zheng reports in Shanghai.

At just 33, Zhan Chunpei has already achieved several significant milestones in her maritime career. She is the captain of the Haixun 01, a 5,000-ton patrol vessel belonging to the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, and manages a 35-person crew, making her the first female captain of a public oceangoing ship in China, and she has participated in 20 major search and rescue missions, including the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

"I call myself a real 'sister who makes waves'," she tells China Daily in an exclusive interview, referring to the popular reality show Sisters Who Make Waves, in which female celebrities, mostly over the age of 30, are challenged to stage performances that defy Chinese showbiz stereotypes about age.

Zhan began her maritime career at the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration after graduating from the Shanghai Maritime University in 2013. Despite having a variety of opportunities open to her, she chose to dedicate herself to life at sea.