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
Flag of the Maritime Safety Administration of the People's Republic of China
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:
The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Galveston Island (background), is underway alongside the crew of the People's Republic of China Maritime Safety Administration ship Haixun 31 (foreground) eight miles offshore of Honolulu, Sept. 6, 2012.
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
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.
MSA Patrol Cutter
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.
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.