The Chinese regime, on April 29, passed a revised draft of the “Maritime Traffic Safety Law” that will be formally implemented on Sept. 1. According to a China issues expert, the move provides a legal basis for China’s maritime expansion and may bring more instability to the Indo-Pacific region.
The revised draft of the Maritime Traffic Safety Law is the same as the Maritime Police Law passed earlier this year, and the previously revised Marine Environmental Protection Law. All mention of “coastal waters” have been changed to “maritime jurisdiction.” A report reviewing the results of the bill states that the term “coastal waters” is not precise, and the scope of this law is not limited to “coastal.”
