The Maritime Safety Administration of the People's Republic of China (China MSA or CMSA; ) is a law enforcement and rescue agency of departmental grade (正司局级) under the Ministry of Transportation. It is headquartered in Dongcheng District,

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

. The incumbent chief is , and the incumbent deputy chief is Xu Wei. In 2025, the Budget of the CMSA was 12.8 billion RMB.

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 Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China () is an agency responsible for railway, road, air and water transportation regulations in China. It is a constituent department of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, S ...

. The China MSA was the only maritime administrative agency that was not merged into the new

China Coast Guard The China Coast Guard (CCG) () is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the People's Armed Police (PAP) of China. The Coast Guard is an armed gendarmerie force (of corps grade), and its cutters are ...

^{/sup> 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. 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

Subordinate Offices

The MSA's subordinate offices include:

* General Office
* Policy and Legislation Office
* Planning and Equipment Office
* Financial Affairs and Accountancy Office
* Human Resources and Training Office
* Traffic Management Office
* Ship Inspection Office
* Dangerous Goods and Pollution Prevention Management Office
* Ship Survey Management Office
* Ship Technical Specification Office

* Mariners Management Office

* Safety Management Office

* Navigation Service Management Office
* Fee Collection Office

* Science, Technology, and Information Office
* International Cooperation Office
* Accounting Office
* Party Work Department
* Information Office
* Disciplinary Inspection Office
* Party Committees Office

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 under 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

The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...
basin, Pearl River

The Pearl River (, or ) is an extensive river system in southern China. "Pearl River" is often also used as a catch-all for the watersheds of the Pearl tributaries within Guangdong, specifically the Xi ('west'), Bei ('north'), and Dong ( ...
basin, and Heilongjiang River basin. 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

Shanghai MSA

Tianjin MSA

Liaoning MSA

Hebei MSA

Shandong MSA

Jiangsu MSA

Zhejiang MSA
*

Guangdong MSA

Guangxi MSA

Hainan MSA

Changjiang MSA

Heilongjiang MSA

Shenzhen MSA

Lianyungang MSA

Mission

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

Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
, Aids to Navigation

A navigational aid (NAVAID), also known as aid to navigation (ATON), is any sort of signal, markers or guidance equipment which aids the traveler in navigation, usually nautical or aviation travel. Common types of such aids include lighthouses, ...
and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System

The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is a worldwide system for automated emergency signal communication for ships at sea developed by the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) as part of the SOLAS Convention ...
), administrative management of port operations, and law enforcement on matters of maritime safety law. It was also responsible for marine accident investigation.
Ships

Equipment

As of July 2024, the CMSA operates approximately 1600 land vehicles, including 82 communications vehicles, 119 emergency response vehicles, 1118 patrol vehicles, 51 specialist vehicles and 230 other vehicles.
* RHIB
* Harbin Z-9 helicopter - contracted out to CITIC Offshore Helicopter
* Eurocopter EC 135
* Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation

Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAIC) () is a Chinese helicopter manufacturer and supplier to the People's Liberation Army, Chinese military. It is a member of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The company is based in ...
CA109

Leadership

Bureau chiefs:

* 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－)

Ranks

See also

*China Coast Guard

The China Coast Guard (CCG) () is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the People's Armed Police (PAP) of China. The Coast Guard is an armed gendarmerie force (of corps grade), and its cutters are ...

* China Marine Surveillance
*International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty which sets out minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. The International Maritime Organiza ...

*International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea

The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972, also known as ''Collision Regulations'' (''COLREGs''), are published by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and set out, among other things, the "rules of the road" o ...

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

References

External links

China Maritime Safety Administration official website

China Maritime Safety Administration official website

Aid to navigation

China Hydrography

{{Authority control

Sea rescue organizations
Maritime Safety Administration
Maritime Safety Administration
1998 establishments in China
Maritime safety organizations
Dongcheng District, Beijing
Government agencies established in 1998
Organizations based in Beijing
Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China
1949 establishments in China
Government agencies established in 1949
1949 in Beijing}