South China's island province of Hainan recently issued a raft of new measures managing ship navigation, which came into effect on April 1.

The 33 measures, which are organized into seven sections, aim to regulate and optimize various aspects of maritime activities in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), including transportation requirements, navigation support, and berthing management.

The changes are intended to facilitate unhindered ship transportation and the independent customs operations scheduled to commence by the end of 2025 in the Hainan FTP.

Aerial view of the Haikou Port container terminal located in China's southern island province of Hainan. (Photo: Hainan Daily)

With over 80% of goods on the island province traded via ship, shipping plays a vital role in the free movement of goods, commodities, and people between the Hainan FTP and the Chinese mainland as well as the whole world.

The new measures are expected to enhance the efficiency of ship navigation by clarifying navigation requirements for vessels operating in Hainan coastal waters and simplifying entry and exit reports for vessels sailing on fixed routes, such as passenger and vehicle ferries sailing across the Qiongzhou Strait.

According to the measures, behaviors such as refitting or disguising ships in violation of regulations, tampering with a ship's automatic identification systems or BeiDou (GPS) systems without authorization, and engaging in activities that endanger public safety are prohibited. In addition, vessels serving drilling platforms, offshore wind farms, marine ranching, and other similar projects should be operated within specified routes and waters.

According to Wu Pingsheng, deputy director of the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration, through comprehensive ship navigation management, these measures seek to establish a robust 'firewall' to effectively prevent and control maritime trade risks so as to enhance maritime traffic safety and coordinate efforts to prevent ship smuggling.