Beijing: With the aim of regularizing foreign ships, China issued new maritime rules on Sunday. It states that ships carrying radioactive materials, oil, chemicals, and certain other materials will have to report the material upon entry into Chinese waters. If China strictly implements these rules in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, then tensions are likely to increase. Here America and its allies are conducting naval exercises.
China claims that almost the entire area of 1.3 million square miles of the South China Sea is China’s sovereign territory. China has created artificial islands in this area and is building a military base here. It is noteworthy that Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also claim their claim on this area. In a notification issued by China’s maritime security authorities, it has been said that the new rules will come into effect from September 1. Operators of submarines, nuclear ships, ships carrying radioactive materials, oil, chemicals, liquid gas, and other toxic and harmful substances must submit detailed information upon entry into Chinese waters. It said ships that could endanger China’s maritime security will also have to comply with the new rules.
According to China’s official newspaper Global Times, those ships will have to give information about the name, call sign, current status, and likely time of arrival. The details of the dangerous material on the ship and the cargo date weight (the capacity of the ship to carry the material) will also have to be given. According to the Global Times, Chinese experts believe that this new step is an attempt to further strengthen China’s national security in the area of the sea by implementing strict rules.
