China’s sea safety law has international implications

Significance

This outlines an expanded scope of operations for the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA)'s patrol boats across China’s claimed jurisdictional waters, and authorises the MSA to levy fines on domestic and foreign violators of the law.

Impacts

• MSA patrol ships could surveil or challenge future foreign naval operations within twelve nautical miles of Chinese-claimed features.
• Coordination of the MSA fleet’s activities with the PLA Navy and CCG will increase.
• The MSA will be a more politicised but also more tightly controlled and predictable seaborne force in the future.