https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...edgdhp&pc=U531
China will begin requiring foreign vessels to report their call signs and cargo before sailing into its "territorial sea"—a term it applies to all the islands it claims in the South China Sea and beyond.
The new regulation under China's Maritime Traffic Safety Law will come into effect on September 1, according to a notice published last Friday by the country's Maritime Safety Administration.
Observers say the move could see further attempts by Beijing to control the civilian and military traffic around its claimed territories, which include hundreds of South China Sea features, but also extend to Taiwan, its outlying islands and the Japan-controlled Senkaku island chain in the East China Sea.
The reporting rule applies to submersibles, nuclear vessels, ships carrying radioactive materials as well as vessels transporting "toxic and harmful substances" including oil, chemicals and liquefied gas, China's maritime authority said.
An additional, more ambiguous article applies to "other vessels that may endanger maritime traffic safety," a line that could be stretched to include all unwelcome foreign vessels, especially of a military nature.
Starting from Wednesday, foreign ships will be required to volunteer their name, call sign, current position, destination and cargo, among other items of information. "In case the vessel fails to report as required," the notice says, "the maritime administration will deal with it according to relevant laws, regulations, rules and provisions."
The announcement doesn't clarify whether this would entail a warning, a forceful expulsion or other action. It remains unclear how China plans to enforce the regulation, and how far it will go with Chinese-claimed islands currently administered by other states.
As defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a territorial sea extends up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state. Foreign vessels—both civilian and military—are permitted innocent passage through the waters, according to the law ratified by China and recognized by the United States.
China Protests U.S. Operations
The Chinese government's claims to territorial waters extend to contested features such as the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. China frequently protests the U.S. Navy's freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) around the archipelago, which is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
During its latest FONOP around the China-controlled islands on July 12, the U.S. 7th Fleet said: "Under international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention, the ships of all States—including their warships—enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea. The unilateral imposition of any authorization or advance-notification requirement for innocent passage is not permitted by international law."
China's new regulation isn't expected to affect U.S. Navy operations in the region. Newsweek has sought further clarification from the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
In interviews following the announcement, Chinese commentator Song Zhongping appeared to confirm Beijing's attempts to bend UNCLOS norms.
The new regulation "showcases China's determination to regulate the foreign vessels' right of use within the country's territorial waters, which should be based on proper identification," he said in a Sunday report by Chinese Communist Party tabloid the Global Times.
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Just am in awe of the Chinese skill at salami slicing. Obviously this ID requirement can be easily leveraged, making it a precondition for docking in China or for taking cargo or crew to or from China.
Commercial operators will kowtow immediately, as it is costless to do so. The full price will be collected later, but that is not the issue for them.