The Maritime Safety Administration of the People's Republic of China (CMSA; ) 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. It is headquartered in Dongcheng District, Beijing.

History

In October 1998, 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:

Subordinate Offices

The MSA's subordinate offices include:

Units Directly Subordinate to the Ministry of Transport

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, some covering more than one of the 20 coastal and riverine provinces, under which 97 local branches have been established.

Regional MSAs

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

MSA Cutters

Secondary Units

Leadership

Bureau Heads:

Website

Also See