China Coast Guard

Last updated
China Coast Guard
中国人民武装警察部队海警总队
Emblem of China Coast Guard.svg
Emblem of China Coast Guard
China Coast Guard racing stripe.svg
Racing stripe
Common nameHaijing (海警)
China Coast Guard Bureau (中国海警局)
Agency overview
FormedJuly 2013;10 years ago (2013-07)
Employees16,296 personnel (2018)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction China
Constituting instrument
  • Coast Guard Law of the People's Republic of China《中华人民共和国海警法》
General nature
Specialist jurisdiction
  • Coastal patrol, marine border protection, marine search and rescue.
Operational structure
Headquarters1 Fuxingmen Outer Street, Beijing, China
Agency executives
Parent agency People's Armed Police
Facilities
Boats164 cutters
Multiple patrol boats (2018)
Aircraft Harbin Z-9
Harbin Y-12
Website
www.ccg.gov.cn OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
China Coast Guard
Simplified Chinese 中国海警局
Traditional Chinese 中國海警局

China Coast Guard (CCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the People's Armed Police of China. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

The China Coast Guard was formed in 2013 from the maritime branch of the People's Armed Police Border Security Force and the other maritime law enforcement agencies in China. [5] The unified Coast Guard is commanded by the State Oceanic Administration [6] and has been in operation since July 2013. [7] On July 1, 2018, the China Coast Guard was transferred from civilian control of the State Council and the State Oceanic Administration, to the People's Armed Police, ultimately placing it under the command of the Central Military Commission. [5] [8] [9]

In June 2018, the China Coast Guard was granted maritime rights and law enforcement akin civilian law enforcement agencies in order to carry out contrast of illegal activities, keep peace and order, as well as safeguarding security at sea, when performing duties related to the use of marine resources, protection of marine environment, regulation of fishery, and anti-smuggling. [10]

In 2019, the United States issued a warning to China over aggressive and unsafe action by their Coast Guard and maritime militia. [11]

The Coast Guard Law allows CCG ships to use lethal force on foreign ship that do not obey order to leave Chinese waters. [12] It took effect on February 1, 2021. [12] In 2023, the Coast Guard used water cannons on Philippines military ships in contested waters. [13]

Function

The CCG is known to perform mostly coastal and oceanic search and rescue or patrols, including anti-smuggling operations. During wartime it may be placed under the operational control of the People's Liberation Army Navy.

Roles

Roles of the CCG are diverse but include:

Command

After the reform in 2018, CCG consists of three commands (sub-bureaus), subdivided into divisions (local bureaus). The name in the parentheses is for general use.

  • People's Armed Police Coast Guard Corps East China Sea Command (China Coast Guard East China Sea Subbureau)
    • Jiangsu Division (Jiangsu Coast Guard Bureau)
    • Shanghai Division (Shanghai CGB)
    • Zhejiang Division (Zhejiang CGB)
    • Fujian Division (Fujian CGB)
    • 1st Division (1st Direct Breau)
    • 2nd Division (2nd DB)
    • 1st Wing
  • PAPCGC South China Sea Command (CCG South China Sea Subbureau)
    • Guangdong Division (Guangdong CGB)
    • Guangxi Division (Guangxi CGB)
    • Hainan Division (Hainan CGB)
    • 3rd Division (3rd DB)
    • 4th Division (4th DB)
    • 5th Division (5th DB)
    • 2nd Wing
  • PAPCGC North China Sea Command (CCG North China Sea Subbureau)
    • Liaoning Division (Liaoning CGB)
    • Tianjin Division (Tianjin CGB)
    • Hebei Division (Hebei CGB)
    • Shandong Division (Shandong CGB)
    • 6th Division (6th DB)
    • 3rd Wing

Training

The Chinese Coast Guard conducts periodic joint-training sessions with other navies, including the US Coast Guard service. [15] The Chinese Coast Guard has also participated in the annual North Pacific Coast Guard Agencies Forum in Alaska, along with US, Canadian, Japanese, South Korean, and Russian Coast Guards. As part of an exchange program, members of the Chinese Coast Guard service have been assigned to serve on U.S. Coast Guard cutters. [16]

Badge of China Coast Guard before 2013, when part of the PAP Border Security Force under the Ministry of Public Security. CHINA COAST GUARD badge.svg
Badge of China Coast Guard before 2013, when part of the PAP Border Security Force under the Ministry of Public Security.

Equipment

Vessels

China Coast Guard Shucha II-class Cutter Haijing 3306. Chinese Coast Guard ship during DiREx-15.jpg
China Coast Guard Shucha II-class Cutter Haijing 3306.

Chinese Coast Guard ships are painted white with blue stripe and wording China Coast Guard in English and Chinese.

Typical Coast Guard ships include the 130 ton Type 218 patrol boat (100 boats), armed with twin 14.5mm machine guns, assorted speedboats, and few larger patrol ships. Up until very recently,[ when? ] the largest ship in Chinese Coast Guard service was the 1,500 ton Type 718 cutter (31101 Pudong).

In March 2007, it was reported that the PLAN had transferred 2 Type 728 cutter (44102, ex-509 Changde; 46103, ex-510 Shaoxing) to the Coast Guard and re-numbered them as 1002 & 1003. At the time these ships were the largest vessels in the China Coast Guard inventory.

In May 2017, it was reported that China had deployed the 12,000 ton Zhaotou-class patrol cutter China Coast Guard (CCG) 3901 cutter No. 1123 to patrol its claimed islands in the disputed South China Sea. [17] [18] The CCG 3901 cutter is the world's biggest coast guard cutter, and is larger than the U.S. Navy's 9,800 ton Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers and its 8,300-9,300 ton Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers. [19] The CCG 3901 cutter is armed with 76mm H/PJ-26 rapid fire naval guns, two auxiliary guns, and two anti-aircraft guns.[ additional citation(s) needed ]

Between mid 2021 and January 2023, the Coast Guard received 22 coastal defense Type 056 corvettes transferred from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. [20] CCG ships are named "Haijing-XX", where XX is a number.

Personnel

CCG ships are staffed by People’s Armed Police personnel. [21] China Coast Guard Academy is a dedicated institution that provides training for personnels to enter the CCG. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Liberation Army Navy</span> Maritime service branch of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army Navy is the maritime service branch of the People's Liberation Army, and the largest navy per number of ships in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Coast Guard</span> Maritime law enforcement and rescue service branch of the U.S. military

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the United States military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its duties. It is the largest coast guard in the world, rivaling the capabilities and size of most navies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast guard</span> Maritime security organization

A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with search and rescue without law enforcement authority. In most countries, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from those of the navy and the transit police, while in certain countries they have similarities to both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Armed Police</span> Chinese paramilitary organization

The People's Armed Police Force is a Chinese paramilitary organization primarily responsible for internal security, riot control, counter-terrorism, disaster response, law enforcement and maritime rights protection as well as providing support to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during wartime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrol boat</span> Small naval vessel

A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and they generally range in size. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, police, or customs, and may be intended for marine, estuarine, or river environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Coast Guard</span> Government agency

The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and icebreaking, marine pollution response, and support for other Canadian government initiatives. The Coast Guard operates 119 vessels of varying sizes and 23 helicopters, along with a variety of smaller craft. The CCG is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, and is a special operating agency within Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)</span> Coast guard of Taiwan

The Coast Guard Administration of the Ocean Affairs Council (CGA) is charged with maintaining law and order, protecting the resources of the territorial waters of the Republic of China (Taiwan), which surrounds Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu Islands, Green Island, Orchid Island, Pratas Island (Tungsha/Dongsha), and Nansha Islands as well as providing a first line of defense along coastal areas against smugglers and illegal immigrants. The CGA is considered a civilian law enforcement agency under the administration of the Ocean Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan, though during emergencies it may be incorporated as part of the Republic of China Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Coast Guard</span> Coast guard of the Philippines

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is recognized as the third armed uniformed service of the country attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within Philippine waters, conducting maritime security operations, safeguarding life and property at sea, and protecting marine environment and resources; similar to coast guard units around the world. In case of a declaration of war, the Coast Guard shall also serve as an attached service of the Department of National Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border guard</span> Government service concerned with security of national borders

A border guard of a country is a national security agency that performs border security. Some of the national border guard agencies also perform coast guard and rescue service duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency</span> Coast Guard of Malaysia

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency ; formally known as Malaysia Coast Guard for international identification, is the coast guard organisation of Malaysia, and principal government agency tasked with maintaining law and order, and coordinating search and rescue operations in the Malaysian Maritime Zone and on the high seas.

The United States Coast Guard is the coastal defense, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces and is one of the country's eight uniformed services. It carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three roles are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnam Coast Guard</span> Coastal patrol branch of the Peoples Armed Forces of Vietnam

Vietnam Coast Guard is the coast guard and officially a uniformed people's armed force of Vietnam. It is purposed to perform search and rescue duties, along with their duties of combating and preventing smuggling, piracy, and trade fraud in Vietnamese waters.

SLNS <i>Samudura</i> (P261) United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter

SLNS Samudura (P621) is a Sri Lanka Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel. Originally commissioned by the United States Coast Guard in 1968 as the medium endurance cutter USCGC Courageous, she was donated to Sri Lanka in 2004 and commissioned on 19 February 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Guard of Georgia</span> Maritime arm of the Georgian Border Police

The Georgian Coast Guard is the maritime arm of the Georgian Border Police, within the Ministry for Internal Affairs. It is responsible for the maritime protection of the entire 310 km (190 mi) coastline of Georgia, as well as the Georgian territorial waters. The primary missions of the service are administration of the territorial waters, marine pollution protection, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, port security and maritime defense. The former Georgian Navy was absorbed into the Coast Guard in 2009.

Ukrainian patrol vessel <i>Sloviansk</i> Former Island-class patrol boat

The Ukrainian patrol vessel Sloviansk (P190) was an Island-class patrol boat of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Originally named USCGC Cushing when in service with the United States Coast Guard, the vessel was acquired by Ukraine in 2018 and arrived in Ukraine on 21 October 2019. Sloviansk was sunk in combat on 3 March 2022 by a Russian air-to-surface missile.

The Haitian Coast Guard, officially the Haitian Coast Guard Commission or G-Cd'H, is an operational unit of the Haitian National Police. It is one of the few law enforcement organisations in the world to combine water policing and coast guard duties while remaining as a policing unit. It operates primarily as a law enforcement agency, with secondary responsibilities in search and rescue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrol Forces Southwest Asia</span> Military unit

Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) is a United States Coast Guard command based in Manama, Bahrain. PATFORSWA was created in November 2002 as a contingency operation to support the U.S. Navy with patrol boats. The command's mission is to train, equip, deploy, and support combat-ready Coast Guard forces conducting operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in the Naval Forces Central Command's area of responsibility. It was commissioned as a permanent duty station in June 2004. In July 2003, PATFORSWA moved from its own compound to facilities at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Militia (China)</span> Chinese paramilitary force

The Militia or Militia of China is the militia part of the armed forces of China, other two parts being the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police (PAP). The Militia is under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and serves as an auxiliary and reserve force for the PLA. It is one of the largest militias in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equipment of the China Coast Guard</span>

The China Coast Guard operates a variety of vessels for its duties.

The Zhaotou class is a NATO reporting name of the ship class of patrol vessels of the China Coast Guard. It is the largest armed coast guard cutter in the world, surpassing the previous record holder, the Japanese Shikishima class.

References

  1. Deployment arrangement from State Council of the People's Republic of China
  2. "中华人民共和国海警法 The Coast Guard Law of the People's Republic of China". National People's Congress . Retrieved 2022-07-31.
  3. Cave, Damien (13 June 2023) [12 June 2023]. "China Creates a Coast Guard Like No Other, Seeking Supremacy in Asian Seas". The New York Times.
  4. Gain, Nathan (2 September 2020). "US DoD Releases Annual Report On Chinese Military Power". NAVALNEWS.
  5. 1 2 Miura, Kacie. "The Domestic Sources of China's Maritime Assertiveness Under Xi Jinping" (PDF). Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars . Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  6. 关晓萌. "Nation merging maritime patrol forces - Latest News". www.chinadaily.com.cn.
  7. Defense News
  8. – Articles – China's coast guard to be under military police Archived 2018-03-22 at the Wayback Machine NHK World, March 22nd 2018
  9. Tate, Andrew (June 26, 2018). "Control over China Coast Guard to be transferred to CMC". Jane's Information Group. Legislation passed by the National People's Congress (NPC) on 22 June will implement changes announced in March that the CCG will come under the control of the People's Armed Police Force (PAPF) and, ultimately, the command of China's Central Military Commission (CMC).
  10. Wei, Changhao (22 June 2018). "NPCSC Defers Vote on E-Commerce Law, Grants Law Enforcement Powers to Military-Controlled Coast Guard". NPC Observer. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  11. Sevastopulo, Demetri; Hille, Kathrin (28 April 2019). "US warns China on aggressive acts by fishing boats and coast guard" . Financial Times. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  12. 1 2 Tian, Yew Lun (22 January 2021). "China authorises coast guard to fire on foreign vessels if needed". Reuters .
  13. "Philippines accuses China of water cannon attack in Spratly Islands". The Guardian . 2023-08-06. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  14. Chan, Eric (2 June 2021). "Escalating Clarity without Fighting: Countering Gray Zone Warfare against Taiwan (Part 2)". globaltaiwan.org. The Global Taiwan Institute. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  15. "Logon Form". Archived from the original on 2017-10-13. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
  16. "RealClearPolitics - Articles - U.S. Coast Guard Has Chinese aboard". www.realclearpolitics.com.
  17. Ryan Pickrell (2017-05-11). "China Sent A 'Monster' Ship To Roam The South China Sea". The National Interest. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  18. "南海区2017年度西沙海域海岛保护联合执法行动圆满完成". South China Sea Branch, State Oceanic Administration. 2017-05-04. Archived from the original on 2017-05-19. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  19. Charissa Echavez (2017-05-12). "China Deploys World's Biggest Coast Guard Cutter CCG 3901 to Patrol South China Sea". China Topix. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  20. Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China (PDF). Department of Defense (Report). 2020. p. 53.
  21. "China Coast Guard". sinodefence.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  22. "China Coast Guard Academy". China Defence Universities Tracker. International Cyber Policy Centre, Australian Strategic Policy Institute. 29 October 2019.