25 February 1992

Law on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of25 February 1992 The Law on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of the People's Republic of China, adopted at the24th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on 25 February 1992.

Article 1 This law is formulated in order to enable the People's Republic of China (PRC) to exercise its sovereignty overits territorial sea and its rights to exercise control over its contiguous zone, and to safeguard State security as well asits maritime rights and interests.

Article 2 The PRC's territorial sea refers to the waters adjacent to its territorial land.

The PRC's territorial land includes the mainland and its offshore islands, Taiwan and the various affiliatedislands including Diaoyu Island, Penghu Islands, Dongsha Islands, Xisha Islands, Nansha (Spratly) Islands and otherislands that belong to the People's Republic of China.

The PRC's internal waters refer to the waters along the baseline of the territorial sea facing the land.

Article 3 The extent of the PRC's territorial sea measures 12 nautical miles from the baseline of the territorial sea. ThePRC's baseline of the territorial sea is designated with the method of straight baselines, formed by joining the variousbase points with straight lines.

The outer limit of the PRC's territorial sea refers to the line, every point of which is at a distance of 12 nauticalmiles from the nearest point of the baseline of the territorial sea.

Article 4 The PRC's contiguous zone refers to the waters that are outside of, but adjacent to, its territorial sea. Theextent of the contiguous zone has a width of 12 nautical miles.

The outer limit of the PRC's contiguous zone is a line, every point of which has a nearest distance of 24nautical miles from the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured.

Article 5 The People's Republic of China exercises sovereignty over its territorial sea and the airspace over theterritorial sea, as well as its seabed and subsoil.

Article 6 Non-military foreign ships enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea of the People'sRepublic of China according to law.

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To enter the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China, foreign military ships must obtain permissionfrom the Government of the People's Republic of China.

Article 7 While passing through the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China, foreign submarines and otherunderwater vehicles shall navigate on the surface of the sea and show their flags.

Article 8 While passing through the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China, foreign ships shall abide by thelaws and regulations of the People's Republic of China and shall not impair the peace, security and good order of thePeople's Republic of China.

Foreign nuclear-powered ships and other ships carrying nuclear, toxic or other dangerous substances mustcarry certain documents and observe special precautionary measures when they pass through the territorial sea of thePeople's Republic of China.

The Government of the People's Republic of China has the right to adopt all necessary measures to preventand stop the passage of a ship which is not innocent through its territorial sea.

Foreign ships which violate the laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China shall be dealt withaccording to law by relevant departments of the People's Republic of China.

Article 9 To ensure the safety of navigation and satisfy other requirements, the Government of the People's Republic ofChina may require foreign ships passing through its territorial sea to use the designated sea lane or prescribed trafficseparation scheme. Concrete methods should be issued by the Government of the People's Republic of China or itsrelevant responsible departments.

Article 10 The relevant responsible organs of the People's Republic of China shall have the right to order an immediateeviction of foreign military ships or ships owned by foreign Governments and operated for non-commercial purposesthat violate the laws or regulations of the People's Republic of China while passing through the territorial sea of thePeople's Republic of China. Losses or damage caused shall be borne by the nations whose flag is being flown by theship in question.

Article 11 Any international, foreign organization, or individual who intends to conduct activities connected withscientific research or marine survey shall first seek the consent of the People's Republic of China or its relevantresponsible departments and abide by the laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China.

Whoever is found illegally entering the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China to conduct activitiesconnected with scientific research or marine survey in violation of the preceding provisions shall be dealt with by therelevant organs of the People's Republic of China according to law.

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Article 12 Foreign aircraft may not enter the air above the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China unless they doso in accordance with agreements or accords which the Governments of their countries have signed with the

Government of the People's Republic of China, or they have been approved or accepted by the Government of thePeople's Republic of China or organs it has authorized.

Article 13 The People's Republic of China has the authority to exercise powers within its contiguous zone for the purposeof preventing or punishing infringement of its security, customs, fiscal sanitary laws and regulations or entry-exitcontrol within its land territories, internal waters or territorial sea.

Article 14 When competent authorities of the People's Republic of China have good reasons to believe that a foreign shiphas violated the laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China, they may exercise the right of hot pursuit. The hot pursuit commences when the foreign ship, or one of its small boats, or other craft working as a teamand using the ship pursued as a mother ship is within the limits of the internal waters, territorial sea or contiguouszone of the People's Republic of China.

If the foreign ships are in the contiguous zone of the People's Republic of China, the hot pursuit may proceedonly when the rights of the relevant laws and regulations set forth in article 13 above have been violated.

As long as the hot pursuit is not interrupted, it may continue outside the territorial sea of the People's Republicof China or the contiguous zone. The hot pursuit ceases as soon as the ship pursued enters the territorial sea of itsown country or of a third country.

The right of hot pursuit in this article is exercised by warships or military aircraft of the People's Republic ofChina, or by ships or aircraft authorized by the Government of the People's Republic of China to that effect.

Article 15 The baseline of the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China shall be established by the Government ofthe People's Republic of China.

Article 16 The Government of the People's Republic of China shall draw up relevant regulations in accordance with thislaw.

Article 17 This law becomes effective upon promulgation.

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