The East China Sea Head Corps will function in the inner seas, the territorial waters, the continental shelves in the marine belts of the special economic zones, that stretch from Shao'antou at the adjacent area of Fujian and Guangdong provinces in the south to the juncture of Jiangsu and Shandong in the north.

The corps will impose punishment to any behavior in violation of China's marine interests, illicit use of the maritime space and damaging marine environment and resources in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. They will help law-execution on the sea or participate in maritime salvation and other actions for military safeguards as committed and authorized by relevant departments.

Ocean, also known as "blue territories", is of great economic and strategic importance. Since China launched the policy of reform and opening up, the marine industry has witnessed a rapid development and become a new growth point in the national economy. Statistics show that in 1999, the gross production value of China's marine industries reached 360 billion yuan with 200 billion yuan added value achieved, taking up 2.4 percent of the GDP.

Zhang Hongsheng, vice director of State Oceanography Bureau, said that the Chinese Government published and effected the Protection Law of Marine Environment of the People's Republic of China in the early 1980s, followed by a series of laws and regulations for the protection of the Chinese ocean. In 1983, the Chinese Ocean Supervision Contingent formally began to cruise in execution of the laws within the Chinese seawaters.

Since July 1999, the Headquarters of China Ocean Supervision Contingent and regional head corps have been set up one in the wake of the other. In the meanwhile, the coastal provinces and municipalities and autonomous regions also have their own ocean supervision troops built up.

(People's Daily 12/28/2000)