The Maritime Traffic Safety Law was promulgated in 1983 and amended in 2016 respectively. The latest revision entered into force on November 7, 2016.

There are 53 articles in total.

The key points are as follows:

1.This Law shall apply to all vessels, installations and personnel and to the owners and managers of such vessels and installations that navigate, berth or operate in the coastal waters of China.

2.Non-military vessels of foreignerity may not enter the internal waters and harbors of the People’s Republic of China without the approval of its competent authorities. However, under unexpected circumstances such as critical illness of personnel, engine breakdown or the vessels being in distress or seeking shelter from weather when they do not have the time to obtain approval, they may, while entering China’s internal waters or harbors, make an emergency report to the competent authority and shall obey its directions.

3.Military vessels of foreignerity may not enter the territorial waters of the People’s Republic of China without the approval of the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

4.Vessels sailing on international routes that enter and leave the ports of the People’s Republic of China must be subject to the inspection by the competent authorities.

5.When a foreign country intends to dispatch vessels or aircraft into the territorial waters or the airspace over the territorial waters of the People’s Republic of China to search for and rescue vessels or people in distress, it must obtain the approval of the competent Chinese authority.

6.No sunken vessels or sunken objects in the coastal waters may be salvaged or dismantled without the approval of the competent authority.