China Coast Guard

The Chinese People's Armed Police Force Coast Guard Corps (), also called China Coast Guard Bureau () and abbreviated as China Coast Guard () or Haijing () serves as a coordinating agency for maritime search and rescue and law enforcement in the territorial waters of the People's Republic of China. It is currently the world's largest coast guard.
The China Coast Guard was formerly the maritime branch of the People's Armed Police (PAP) Border Security Force under the Ministry of Public Security until 2013. In March 2013, China announced it would form a unified Coast Guard commanded by the State Oceanic Administration. The new Coast Guard has been in operation since July 2013. As of 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.
The formal name of the organization is "Chinese People's Armed Police Force Coast Guard Corps" (PAPCGC), but "China Coast Guard Bureau/China Coast Guard" (CCGB/CCG) is retained for general use.
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:
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.
On January 22, 2021, the Coast Guard Law was passed, which allowes CCG ships to use lethal force on foreign ship that do not obey order to leave Chinese waters. It would take effect on February 1, 2021.
Command.
After the reform in 2018, CCG consists commands (subbureaus) and divisions (local bureaus). The name in the parentheses is for general use.
Training.
The Chinese Coast Guard conducts periodic joint-training sessions with other navies, including the US Coast Guard service. The Chinese Coast Guard also participates 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.
Equipment.
Vessels.
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, 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 China Coast Guard (CCG) 3901 cutter No. 1123 to patrol its claimed islands in the disputed South China Sea. 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. The CCG 3901 cutter is armed with 76mm H/PJ-26 rapid fire naval guns, two auxiliary guns, and two anti-aircraft guns.
The China Coast Guard and The Philippines.
What China considers to be its jurisdiction is not defined and therefore may include territory that is also claimed by another country. China’s Nine-Dash-Line, which consists of the majority of the South China Sea, is the territory that China considers rightfully theirs, either historically or because of the infrastructure they have put into the islands. China’s claim to the territory was denied in 2016, when The Philippines took them to international court and the Court ruled that China’s historical evidence did not hold up, and therefore they had no right to the area. China, not paying much mind to the ruling, still believes they have a claim to this area. China’s Coast Guard protects this territory, causing many other countries to take issue with it. The China Coast Guard has regularly gotten into trouble for having vessels in disputed waters and in April 2021, the Philippines threatened to file a diplomatic protest against China stating that the increased number of vessels in their disputed territories is not allowed and should be punished. Tensions have been ramping up as both sides refuse to remove their vessels. In April 2021, after the Philippines conducted a maritime exercise, China told the Philippines to stop escalating the dispute, despite the fact that China also refuses to remove their vessels. President Duterte has claimed that the issue of the South China Sea and the rising tensions would be worth ruining the Philippines’ good relationship with Beijing. Manila has also filed daily diplomatic protests against China for vessels in their waters.