Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(Promulgated in Decree No. 109 by the State Council of the People's Republic of China
on February 14, 1993 and effective as of the date of promulgation)
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 These Regulations are formulated to ensure that ships, offshore installations
and marine containers meet the technical requirements for safe navigation and operation,
to safeguard the safety of life of people and property and to prevent the pollution of
marine environment.
b. Foreign flag ships applying for the surveys according to these Regulations or other
relevant regulations stipulated by the State;
Article 4 China Classification Society (CCS) is a social organization for ship surveys,
which undertakes classification surveys and certification surveys and surveys related to
notarial matters of domestic and foreign ships, offshore installations and containers. The
Society is allowed to conduct statutory surveys on behalf of the Register of Shipping
subject to the latter's authorization.
Article 6 Surveys of ships are carried out by the following organizations respectively:
The above-mentioned organizations are generally called the Ship Survey Organizations
hereinafter.
Article 7 Owners or operators of Chinese flag ships must apply to a Ship Survey
Organization for:
a. Survey under construction when their ships are under construction or conversion;
c. Initial survey when their foreign flag ships are changed into Chinese ones.
Article 8 Important equipment, parts and materials used by Chinese flag ships
concerning the navigation safety at sea and the prevention of pollution of marine
environment shall be subject to surveys by the Ship Survey Organization in accordance
with the relevant rules and regulations.
Article 9 Chinese flag ships shall be subject to tonnage measurement including gross
tonnage and net tonnage measurement as well as verification and ratification of loadlines
and passenger quotas by the Ship Survey Organization.
Article 10 Owners or operators of foreign mobile drilling units and mobile offshore
platforms engaged in offshore drilling and exploring activities in the coastal waters of
China shall apply to the Ship Survey Organization established or designated by the
Register of Shipping for:
Article 11 Owners or operators of mobile offshore platforms, floating docks and other
giant floating units taken in towage in the coastal waters of China must apply to the Ship
Survey Oganization established or designated by the Register of Shipping for towing
surveys prior to operation.
Article 12 Owners or operators of Chinese flag ships must apply to the Ship Survey
Organization for an occasional survey in case of one of the following circumstances:
b. A change in the ship's purpose or navigational areas which are defined in the
certificate, or
c. The expiry of the certificate signed and issued by the Ship Survey Organization, or
Owners or operators of foreign flag ships in ports of China must apply to the Ship
Survey Organization established or designated by the Rgister of Shipping for an
occasional survey in either case of the above-mentioned (a) and (d).
Article 13 The following kinds of Chinese flag ship must apply to China
Classification Society for classification surveys:
Article 14 The Ship Survey Organization shall, according to the rules and regulations,
issue a corresponding certificate to the ship which is surveyed up to the standard.
d. Occasional surveys of those which are required by the competent authority in charge
of maritime safety or environmental protection.
Article 16 The Ship Survey Organization shall, according to the rules and regulations,
issue a corresponding certificate to the offshore installation which is surveyed up to the
standard.
Article 18 The Ship Survey Organization shall, according to the rules and regulations,
issue a corresponding certificate to the container which is surveyed up to the standard.
Article 21 Surveyors shall be provided with necessary facilities by the work unit
concerned when they are carrying out surveys or technical and analytical investigations
for an accident.
Article 22 The Ship Survey Organization shall levy survey fees according to the
provisions, which shall be formulated by the competent authority of transport and
communications under the State Council in consultation with the financial department
and the department in charge of commodity prices under the State Council.
Article 23 A person or party concerned who disagrees with the Ship Survey
Organization about the decision, may appeal to a higher survey body for a review of the
case, and may appeal to the Register of Shipping for a further review of the case, where
the findings of the first review is still unacceptable. The final conclusion shall be
onfirmed by the Register of Shipping where an organized working group of technical
experts shall undertake special investigations and assessments of the case.
Article 24 No work unit or individual shall alter or forge the certificate of survey or
arbitrarily alter loadlines determined and marked by the Ship Survey Organization.
Article 27 Those who forge the certificates of ship survey or arbitrarily alter the
loadlines shall be subject to the penalty of criticism by the competent authority through
circulars or shall be imposed fines of up to five times the survey fees. If any of the acts
constitutes a crime, criminal responsibility shall be investigated according to law by the
judicial departments.
Article 28 Surveyors of the Ship Survey Organization shall be given disciplinary
sanctions by their work units or shall be removed from their posts when found to have
abused their power, practised graft and embezzlement or neglected their duties. In serious
cases where the acts constitute a crime, criminal responsibility shall be investigated
according to law by the judicial department.
b. "Offshore installations" means any fixed or mobile structures and devices of various
kinds above or under water and fixed platforms;
c. "Coastal waters" means any coastal ports, continental waters, territorial waters and
other waters under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China.
Article 31 Survey of petroleum and natural gas production facilities related to the
offshore installations shall be formulated separately by the competent authority of
petroleum in consultation with the competent authority of transport and communications
under the State Council.
a. Ships used in the military and in public security and sports crafts;
Article 34 These Regulations shall come into force from the date of
promulgation.