China Maritime Safety Administration

Agency executiveParent agencyMinistry of TransportWebsiteen.msa.gov.cn/msa/

The Maritime Safety Administration of the People's Republic of China (CMSA; Chinese: 中华人民共和国海事局) is a government agency of departmental grade (正司局级) under the Ministry of Transportation. The MSA administers all matters related to maritime and shipping safety, including the supervision of maritime traffic safety and security, prevention of pollution from ships, inspection of ships and offshore facilities, navigational safety measures (including Search and Rescue, Aids to Navigation and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System), administrative management of port operations, and law enforcement on matters of maritime safety law. It was also responsible for marine accident investigation.^[1] It is headquartered in Dongcheng District, Beijing.^[2]

History

In October 1998,^[3] it was formed by the merger of the China Ship Inspection Bureau and the China Port Supervision Bureau into a comprehensive agency of maritime affairs, subordinate to the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China.

The China MSA was the only maritime administrative agency that was not merged into the new China Coast Guard^[4] in June 2013. The CMSA retains its safety and control ("traffic police") remit, while the new CCG concentrates all other law enforcement and policing duties.

The CMSA protects its neutrality as a safety agency quite jealously. It is a completely civilian agency, its vessels are unarmed, and it has never been involved in any of the maritime border controversies that are usually engaged by the CCG and the Maritime Militia.

Organization

Functions

The agency is organized into the following functions:

• Major Functions
• Safety Management of Shipping Company
• Survey of Ships
• Flag State Control
• Port State Control
• Prevention of Pollution from Ships
• Safe Carriage of Dangerous Goods
• Training, Examination and Certification of Seafarers
• Seafarers' Passports
• Aids to Navigation
• Hydrographic Survey
• Marine Traffic Control
• China Ship Reporting System (CHISREP)
• Navigational Warnings and Notices
• Vessel Traffic Service
• Maritime Search and Rescue
• Marine Accident Investigation
• Education and Training
• International Cooperation
• Law enforcement

Subordinate Offices

The MSA's subordinate offices include:^{[4] [5]}

• General Office (办公室)
• Policy and Legislation Office (政策法规处)
• Planning and Equipment Office (计划装备处)
• Financial Affairs and Accountancy Office (财务会计处)
• Human Resources and Training Office (人事教育处)
• Traffic Management Office (通航管理处)
• Ship Inspection Office (船舶监督处)
• Dangerous Goods and Pollution Prevention Management Office (危管防污处)
• Ship Survey Management Office (船舶检验管理处)
• Ship Technical Specification Office (船舶技术规范处)
• Mariners Management Office (船员管理处)
• Safety Management Office (安全管理处)
• Navigation Service Management Office (航海保障管理处)
• Fee Collection Office (规费征稽处)
• Science, Technology, and Information Office (科技信息处)
• International Cooperation Office (国际合作处)
• Accounting Office (审计处)
• Party Work Department (党组工作部)
• Information Office (宣传处)
• Disciplinary Inspection Office (纪检办公室）
• Party Committees Office (直属机关党委办公室)

Units Directly Subordinate to the Ministry of Transport

• Northern Navigation Service Center (交通运输部北海航海保障中心）
• Eastern Navigation Service Center (交通运输部东海航海保障中心）
• Southern Navigation Service Center (交通运输部南海航海保障中心）

The China Rescue and Salvage Bureau operates as an independent entity of the Ministry of Transport, but it shares personnel and leadership with the MSA.

Operational organizations

The MSA operates primarily along the PRC coastline and the Yangtze River, Pearl River, and Heilongjiang River. The MSA maintains 15 Regional MSAs,^[6] some covering more than one of the 20 coastal and riverine provinces, under which 97 local branches have been established.

Regional MSAs

• Shanghai MSA
• Tianjin MSA
• Liaoning MSA
• Hebei MSA
• Shandong MSA
• Jiangsu MSA
• Zhejiang MSA
• Fujian MSA
• Guangdong MSA
• Guangxi MSA
• Hainan MSA
• Changjiang MSA
• Heilongjiang MSA
• Shenzhen MSA
• Lianyungang MSA

Strength

The MSA has 25,000 officials and other working staff, who operate a patrol force of 1,300 vessels and watercraft of various types. These include 207 patrol vessels of 20 meters and greater length: 2 are 100 meters and above, 2 are 60 meters and above, 18 are 40 meters and above, 59 are 30 meters and above and 126 are 20 meters and above.

Fleet

Number	Dimensions (meters)	Displacement	Speed	Crew	Construction date	MSA Bureau
Haixun 01 (海巡01)	128.6 x 16 x 7.9	5,418 t	20 knots		2013-04	Shanghai[7]
Haixun 03 (海巡03)	128.6 x 16 x 7.9	5,560 t	20 knots		2021-09	Hainan[8][9]
Haixun 06 (海巡06)	128.6 x 16 x 7.9	5,560 t	20 knots		2021-02	Fujian[10] [11]
Haixun 08 (海巡08)	123.6 x 21.2 x 9.3	7,500 t	15 knots	100	2022-07	東海航海保障中心[12]
Haixun 09 (海巡09)	165 x 20.6 x 9.5	10,700 t	16 knots		2021-10	Guangdong[13][14]
Haixun 11 (海巡11)	144.44	3,249 t	22 knots		2009-03	Guizhou[15]
Haixun 12 (海巡12)	7.8 x 2.25 x 1.0				2021-02
Haixun 21 (海巡21)	86 x	2,300 t	18 knots	50	2012-11	Hainan[16][17]
Haixun 22 (海巡22)	86 x	2,300 t	18 knots	59		Zhejiang[18]
Haixun 31 (海巡31号)	112.8 x 13.8 x 4.38	3,000 t		50
Haixun 0921 Haixun 0927 (海巡921号)	47.4 x 8 meters x 4.7 meters		17.5 knots			Guangdong[19]

Secondary Units

• RHIB
• Harbin Z-9 helicopter - contracted out to CITIC Offshore Helicopter
• Eurocopter EC 135
• Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation CA109

Leadership

Bureau Heads:

• Xu Zuyuan (徐祖远)（2008 Mar－2013 Aug)
• Chen Aiping (陈爱平)（2013 Aug－2016 Apr)
• Xu Ruqing (许如清) （2016 Apr－2019 Jan)
• Cao Desheng (曹德胜) （2019 Jan－2022 Feb)
• Li Guoping (李国平)（2022 Feb－2023 May)
• Fu Xuyin (付绪银) (2023 May－)

Website

• [1] Website (in Chinese

Also See

• China Ministry of Transport
• China Rescue and Salvage Bureau
• Haixun 01

See also

• China Coast Guard
• China Marine Surveillance
• International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
• International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

References

External links

• China Maritime Safety Administration official website
• China Maritime Safety Administration official website (in Chinese)
• State Oceanic Administration (Zhong ghuo hai jian) (in Chinese)
• Aid to navigation (in Chinese)
• China Hydrography (in Chinese)