Draft law gives China Coastguard teeth …..

China has drafted a coastguard law that authorises its maritime law enforcers to demolish foreign constructions on Chinese-claimed reefs and allows the use of weapons against foreign ships.

The China Coastguard will also have the right to board, search, detain and expel foreign vessels, and arrest individuals suspected of seriously violating Chinese laws in the waters under Chinese jurisdiction, it stipulated.
The draft was released for public review on Wednesday on the website of the National People’s Congress and is expected to be approved during future sessions of the legislature body.

—–by Liu Zhen in SCMP, 6 Nov, 2020

www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3108723/draft-law-gives-china-coastguard-teeth-destroy-foreign

GLOBAL TIMES TAKE

Chinese experts slammed foreign media hype of China’s draft coast guard law released on Wednesday, noting that any country has the right to enforce laws in the airspace and waters under its administration, Guo Yuandan reported in Global Times (Nov 6, 2020)

Tian Shichen, vice president of think tank Grandview Institution, told the Global Times on Thursday that every country has the right to carry out law enforcement in waters and airspace under its jurisdiction, including the use of force, as long as the exercise of this power is within the scope of the authorization of international law, or does not violate the international obligations assumed by the country.

He noted that the US and Japanese coast guards do the same thing, but they have laws to clarify law enforcement subjects, weapons used, and law enforcement procedures, which is what China’s new draft law deals with.

Another expert who requested anonymity agrees, noting that it is double standard that only China is blamed, while the US and Japan have similar laws.