 | This articlemay rely excessively on sourcestoo closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from beingverifiable andneutral. Please helpimprove it by replacing them with more appropriatecitations toreliable, independent sources.(May 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| China Coast Guard 中国海警局 | |
|---|---|
 Patch of the China Coast Guard | |
.png) Emblem of China Coast Guard | |
 Racing stripe | |
| Common name | Haijing (海警) China Coast Guard Bureau (中国海警局) |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 22 July 2013; 12 years ago (2013-07-22) |
| Preceding agencies | |
| Employees | 16,296 personnel(2018) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | China |
| Constituting instrument |
|
| General nature | |
| Specialist jurisdiction |
|
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 1 Fuxingmen Outer Street,Beijing,China |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | People's Armed Police |
| Facilities | |
| Boats | 164cutters Multiplepatrol boats(2018) |
| Aircraft | Harbin Z-9 Harbin Y-12 |
| Website | |
www | |
| China Coast Guard | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 中国海警局 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 中國海警局 | ||||||
| |||||||
| Haijing ("Coast Guard") | |||||||
| Chinese | 海警 | ||||||
| |||||||
| People's Liberation Army |
|---|
 |
| Executive departments |
| Staff |
| Services |
| Arms |
| Domestic troops |
| Special operations forces |
| Military districts |
| History of the Chinese military |
| Military ranks of China |
TheChina Coast Guard (CCG;中国海警局) is themaritime security,search and rescue, andlaw enforcementservice branch of thePeople's Armed Police (PAP) ofChina. Theemergency number of the Coast Guard is 95110, which began operation in 2019.[2]
Between 2013 and 2023, the CCG confiscated a total of 9.875 tonnes of drugs, 21 billionRMB worth of smuggled goods and 12 million tonnes ofstolen sand, along with responding to over 53,000 emergency calls and handling 24,000 cases.[3]
Prior to 2013, fiveChinese departments had maritime law enforcement responsibilities leading to "waste, inefficiency, and disarray".[4] In March 2013, theNational People's Congress (NPC) authorized the creation of the CCG under theState Oceanic Administration (SOA). The CCG combined the SOA'sChina Marine Surveillance (CMS), theMinistry of Agriculture'sChina Fishery Law Enforcement [zh] (CFLE), theMinistry of Public Security's (MPS)[5]People's Armed Police Border Defense Corps Coast Guard [zh],[5][6] and theGeneral Directorate of Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau [zh]'s Maritime elements.[5] Locally controlled and funded CMS and CFLE units remained separate.[7] TheMinistry of Transport'sMaritime Safety Administration (MSA) andsearch and rescue organizations were not merged, possibly to reduce the difficulty of the reorganization or to allow the MSA to be continue to be differentiated from the more aggressive CCG for foreign relations purposes.[8] The CCG was officially created on 22 July 2013.[9]
The 2013 CCG did not become an integrated service and the intended synergies failed to materialize. The founding organizations retained separate identities, missions, and cultures.[7] The chain of command was unclear. Although technically subordinate to the SOA, the MPS had the authority to give "operational guidance" andMeng Hongwei, a vice-minister of the MPS, was appointed as head of the CCG. The MPS also staffed the nominally civilian CCG with personnel from its own paramilitary PAP.[10] By April 2018, the CCG was unable to resolve these problems.[7]
The CCG was reorganized in 2018 to be a part of the Chinese armed forces. The PAP was subordinated only to theCentral Military Commission and received control of the CCG. By 2019, the CCG was commanded by Rear AdmiralWang Zhongcai of thePeople's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The SOA was abolished[10] with most of its civilian researchers and administrators transferring to theMinistry of Natural Resources, which "renounced any role in maritime law enforcement". Local CMS and CFLE units remained separate.[7] On 22 June, the NPC authorized the transfer of the CCG to the PAP on 1 July;[11] The CCG's missions were unchanged by the reforms.[7]
Legal reform followed the 2018 reorganization. When the CCG was created it continued to operate under the pre-2013 legal framework used by the separate organizations. In 2020, the CCG's role in maritime criminal cases was clarified.[7] in January 2021, the NPC passed a law standardizing CCG operations and clarifying the authorization for the use of force;[12] the law permitted the use of lethal force to enforce Chinese territorial claims.[13][14]
In June 2024, the CCG was authorized to detain foreign vessels and persons for up to 60 days.[15]
The CCG duty is to perform regular patrols and reactive actions (such as Search and Rescue) on the coastal, near sea, and open ocean areas of its jurisdiction (and international waters). These actions include principally law enforcement tasks such as interdicting smuggling, illegal fisheries control, and protecting the environment (such as stoppingcoral fishing and pollutant dumping).[16]
The CCG also serves as an armed border guard, protecting China's claimed maritime borders, which often leads to conflict and controversy. As a constituent part of the Chinese Armed Forces (being subordinate to thePAP), on wartime it would be placed under the operational control of thePeople's Liberation Army Navy, in which case it would be likely to play support roles and rear-area escort (like itsUSCG counterparts, which is also a branch of the military, its ships are not equipped for full military combat).[citation needed]
The first set of duties of the CCG according to the China Coast Guard Law include seven law enforcement tasks:
Another set of responsibilities come frommaritime safety. While maritime safety,SAR, and the enforcement of the rules of marine safety is the main remit of theChina Maritime Safety Administration, and the leading organ in active SAR is theChina Rescue and Salvage Bureau, the CCG, as the main maritime law enforcement agency, is involved very often in rescue operations.[20] It also supports the CMSA in enforcing maritime safety rules and inspect ships suspected of presenting risks to navigation.[citation needed]
International cooperation and coordination is one of the official tasks of the CCG. Part of this is cooperation with friendly nations for mutually beneficial tasks (such as cooperating with Russia in fishery operations, as part of the plan for the opening and operation of an Arctic passage).[21][22]More critical is cooperation with neighboring states on matters of mutual interest, in particular fisheries and smuggling. The frequency of that cooperation often correlates with the state of bilateral relationships, but institutional connections do remain continuously active.[23][24]
In the 2000s and early 2010s, the Chinese Coast Guard (Before 2013, the Maritime Police and China Marine Surveillance) conducted periodic joint-training sessions with other navies in the North Pacific, including the US Coast Guard service.[25] The Chinese Coast Guard has also participated in the annualNorth Pacific Coast Guard Agencies Forum in Alaska, along with the US, Canadian, Japanese, South Korean, and Russian Coast Guards. As part of an exchange program, around 109 members of the Chinese Coast Guard service have served onU.S. Coast Guard cutters.[26][27]
The worsening of US-China relationships in the last few years (as of 2024), in particular the ongoingconflict regarding the South China Sea (in which the CCG is directly involved) have all but ended the co-training missions with the USCG, although the purely civilianCMSA still keeps a very close working relationship with its counterparts in the US and Japan.[citation needed]
As China'sclaims of sovereign waters are extensive and overlap with several other countries, enforcing this doctrine has created a very large number of incidents and controversies involving the CCG.[28][15] These often escalate to skirmishes and tense brinkmanship in what has been calledgrey-zone operations.[29] The CCG is at the forefront of these incidents (often alongside thePeople's Armed Forces Maritime Militia).[30] The probable reason for that usage, according to international analysts[31][32] is that putting the paramilitary "White Hulls" (the CCG) and the "Blue Hulls" (the PAFMM) at the forefront avoids the dangerous escalation that would happen if the unambiguously military "Gray Hulls" (thePLAN) were involved in an incident.[33][34]
The CCG is very active in patrolling those rights.[35] The result is a significant number of incidents of varying levels of tension.[28] In 2019, the United States issued a warning to China over aggressive and unsafe action by their Coast Guard and maritime militia.[36] In 2023, the Coast Guard usedwater cannons on Philippines military ships in contested waters.[37] In 2024, the PAFMM and CCG entered into a tense standoff with the Philippines over theSecond Thomas Shoal.[15][38]
Following the 2018 reforms, the CCG hierarchy - from senior to junior - are the CCG Bureau in Beijing, the regional branch bureaus (Chinese:海区分局;pinyin:haiqu fenju), the provincial-level bureaus (Chinese:省级海警局;pinyin:shengji haijing ju), the municipal-level bureaus (Chinese:市级海警局;pinyin:shiji haijing ju) and work stations (Chinese:工作站;pinyin:gongzuo zhan).[7]
There are currently 3 regional bureaus:[39]
The provincial and municipal bureaus conduct coastal missions. These are 11 such bureaus (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Heibei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanghai, Tianjin, Zhejiang),[7] one for each coastal region.[39]
The Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Fujian bureaus are part of the East Sea Bureau, the Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan bureaus are part of the South Sea Bureau and the Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin and Shandong Bureaus are part of the North Sea Bureau.[41]
The regional bureaus also control "directly subordinate bureaus" (Chinese:直属局;pinyin:zhishi ju) which control most of the large cutters and execute most sovereignty enforcement missions. These bureaus and their locations are:[7]
The CCG operates 3 aircraft groups, with each regional bureau operating one aircraft group.[40][41]
Some Chinese Coast Guardsmen havenight vision devices.[44]
Chinese coast guard personnel are most commonly seen withQBZ-95 rifles.[45]
The Chinese Coast Guard has used modified versions of theXi'an MA60 airliner known as the MA60H as a marine patrol aircraft.[46] TheHarbin Z-9 andWing Loong II UAV have also been used by the Chinese Coast Guard.[43][47]
CCG ships are staffed byPeople’s Armed Police personnel.[48]China Coast Guard Academy is a dedicated institution that provides training for personnel entering the CCG.[49]
The CCG have been seen with aerial assault boarding units which deploy from helicopters along with diving units.[43]
There is currently one recordedLODD of CCG personnel.
| Rank and name | Chinese name | Badge number | End of watch | Unit | Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SergeantWang Xiaolong[50][3][51] | 汪晓龙 | 0115479 | 2023-03-24 | Guangdong Coast Guard Bureau,Shanwei Municipal Coast Guard Bureau,Chengqu Coast Guard Station | Killed by speedboatpropeller after falling into water during struggle while conducting asmuggling interdiction mission. Another coast guardsman, Lin Qingping was heavily injured but survived the incident. |
The CCG has direct intel sharing with theGeneral Administration of Customs.[39]
The CCG has conducted joint patrols with theVietnam Coast Guard.[52]
The CCG has dozens of bases and facilities up and down the coast of China, some very small, their variegated nature again the result of the Coast Guard's mixed origin. The following are some of the largest and most significant.[53]
| Base name | Location | Coordinates | Stationed units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhoushan Putuoshan International Airport[41] | Putuo,Zhoushan,Zhejiang | 29°56′30″N122°21′42″E / 29.941667°N 122.361606°E /29.941667; 122.361606 | 1st Aviation Group |
| Zhuhai Jinwan Airport[41] | Jinwan,Zhuhai,Guangdong | 22°00′38″N113°22′50″E / 22.010537°N 113.380464°E /22.010537; 113.380464 | 2nd Aviation Group |
| Jinan Pingyin Agricultural airport[41] | Pingyin county,Jinan,Shandong | 36°17′47″N116°26′25″E / 36.296281°N 116.440381°E /36.296281; 116.440381 | 3rd Aviation Group |
Places adjacent to China Coast Guard | |
|---|---|
| Africa | |
|---|---|
| Asia |
|
| Europe | |
| North America | |
| Oceania | |
| South America | |
.svg)
_cap_insignia.svg)
