China Coast Guard

Summary

China Coast Guard (CCG; Chinese: 中国人民武装警察部队海警总队), colloquially recognized as the Haijing (海警), is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the People's Armed Police of China.[2][3][4]

China Coast Guard
中国人民武装警察部队海警总队
Emblem of China Coast Guard
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 jurisdictionChina
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 agencyPeople's Armed Police
Facilities
Boats164 cutters
Multiple patrol boats (2018)
AircraftHarbin Z-9
Harbin Y-12
Website
www.ccg.gov.cn
China Coast Guard
Simplified Chinese中国海警局
Traditional Chinese中國海警局
Haijing ("Coast Guard")
Chinese海警

History edit

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 non-lethal force on Philippines military ships in contested waters.[13]

Function edit

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 edit

Roles of the CCG are diverse but include:

Command edit

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 edit

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.

Equipment edit

Vessels edit

 
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 edit

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 edit

References edit

  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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Tian, Yew Lun (22 January 2021). "China authorises coast guard to fire on foreign vessels if needed". Reuters.
  13. ^ Staff (2023-08-06). "Philippines accuses China of water cannon attack in Spratly Islands". The Guardian. 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.

External links edit

  • Official website