China planning to bar potentially dangerous foreign vessels: report

Central News Agency

2017/02/14 21:39:24

Taipei, Feb. 14 (CNA) The Chinese government is planning to amend a law to bar foreign vessels that are seen as likely to endanger the country's maritime traffic safety, Beijing's state-owned China News Service (CNS) reported Tuesday.

The planned amendment to the Maritime Traffic Safety Law will add provisions regarding entry and exit controls, innocent passage, right of hot pursuit and expulsion of foreign vessels, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, CNS said.

According to a draft published that day, China's maritime authorities can refuse to allow a foreign vessel to pass through its territorial waters if it is considered a threat to the country's maritime traffic safety, CNS said.

The draft also stipulates that foreign underwater vessels should sail on the surface, fly flags indicating their country of origin, and report to China's maritime authorities when passing through China's territorial waters, the news agency said.

Also, foreign vessels sailing, docking or operating in China's internal and territorial waters can face expulsion if they violate the country's laws, it said.

(By Yin Chun-chieh and Y.F. Low)
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