China

Agents of inbound and outbound ships shall transmit the following electronic data of manifests in the specified formats: name and number of means of transport, nationality, loading port, destination port, Bill of Lading (Waybill) number, consignee or consignor, name of goods, number and weight of goods, container number, container size, etc.

After verification and approval, Customs at the place of dispatch will issue Notice of Transshipment of Exported Goods. The Customs at the place of exit will inspect and verify the above-mentioned documents before going through the outbound formalities for the goods under transshipment.

Further Customs information available at www.customs.gov.cn

The following may also be required:

Also see Pratique.

Details of Ship’s Routeing and Ship Reporting systems is available to view and download at the China MSA website at en.msa.gov.cn

Also see Piracy.

Communications are in Mandarin and Cantonese (Guangzhou) and foreign language English.

Fuzhou VTS Centre: T: +86 (591) 8368 4018. F: +86 (591) 8398 5000. VHF Channels 12 (calling) and 23 (working).

Quanzhou VTS Centre: T: +86 (595) 2256 5013. F: +86 (595) 2808 0847. VHF Channels 69 (calling) and 65 (working). Meizhouwan VTS area VHF Channels 10 (calling) and 65 (working).

Xiamen VTS Centre: T: +86 (592) 689 5123. F: +86 (592) 689 5262. VHF Channels 67 (calling) and 27 (working). Xiamenwan VTS area VHF Channels 8 (calling) and 27/28 (working).

Nanjing VTS Station: T: +86 (25) 5880 4783. F: +86 (25) 5880 4783. Works on VHF Channels 10 and 11.

Nantong VTS Station: T: +86 (513) 8115 0062, 8115 0063, 8352 9347. F: +86 (513) 8115 0061. Works on VHF Channels 10 and 11.

Taizhou VTS Station: T: +86 (523) 8698 1395, 8639 8227, 8668 7600. F: +86 (523) 8639 8227. Works on VHF Channels 9 (contact) and 69.

Jiangyin VTS Station: T: +86 (510) 8685 6348, 8684 7964. F: +86 (510) 8685 3912. Works on VHF Channels 9 (contact) and 69.

Zhangjiagang VTS Station: T: +86 (512) 8250 9300, 8250 9301, 5833 0432. F: +86 (512) 5893 1992. Works on VHF Channels 10 (contact) and 69.

Zhenjiang VTS Station: T: +86 (511) 8528 6914, 8530 6110. F: +86 (511) 8530 6100. Works on VHF Channels 9 and 10.

The regulations require the owners/operators of:

to enter into a pollution cleanup contract with a Ship Pollution Response Organisation (SPRO) before the vessel enters a PRC port.

The requirements do not apply to Hong Kong or Macau or inland waterways in China PRC except sea ports in Nantong. Neither do they apply to vessels below 10,000 g.t. carrying LNG or petroleum products, nor when on a ballast voyage.

The rise of shipping in Chinese waters has outgrown the publicly funded facilities required to respond to a maritime pollution incident. The Chinese government is adopting the polluter pays principle and expects the shipping industry to contribute privately towards the material resources required to cover China’s 8,000 n.m. coastline.

In the past the China Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) have shouldered the burden of dealing with pollution clean up; however, on a number of occasions it has failed to recover clean up costs as a result of owners successfully limiting their liability. By requiring ship owners and operators to enter into retained contractual relationships with the response organisations, it is hoped by those response organisations that they will obtain a greater degree of certainty of recovering their costs.

China may implement stricter fuel quality requirements; under consideration is the implementation of a 0.10% sulphur cap in the Coastal ECA from 1 January 2025.

Also see Notices.

Depending on which hospital you’re taken to, medical care is generally good in major cities, though some hospitals can be very crowded and waiting times long. Outside major cities, the standard of healthcare is variable; sometimes poor, and disorganised. Healthcare is not provided free of charge in China and medical bills can be high. Medical evacuation from China is very expensive. Make sure you have comprehensive insurance covering healthcare for the duration of your stay.

If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 120 and ask for an ambulance. Ambulances can be very slow to arrive and may not have trained responders. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment.

The high levels of air pollution in major urban and industrialised areas in China may aggravate bronchial, sinus or asthma conditions. Children, the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions may be especially affected.

It is not unusual for guests to consume large quantities of strong alcohol served at business dinners in China. On rare occasions this has led to severe illness or even death. Fake alcohol is also sometimes sold in bars; this can be more damaging to health than genuine products.

Tap water in China is generally not safe to drink. You should drink only bottled water.

Dengue fever is present in some parts of China mainly during the rainy season. There has been a large increase in cases of dengue fever in Guangdong province. You should take appropriate precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

The above ``alternative measures'' refer to any fittings, apparatus or alternative fuels which are at least as effective in terms of emission reductions as required above. 01 January 2020, the wash water of open-loop exhaust gas cleaning systems should not be discharged into waters of DECAs.

In order to implement the national policies on ecological civilization development, pollution prevention and control, to protect the blue skies, as well as to facilitate the green shipping development and the energy saving and emission reduction of vessels, this Implementation Scheme is formulated in accordance with the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People’s Republic of China and the applicable international conventions, and on the basis of the Implementation Scheme of the Domestic Emission Control Areas for Vessels in the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta and the Bohai-Rim Area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei) (JHF[2015]No.177).

Serious crime against foreigners is relatively rare, but incidents do occur. There have been incidents of sexual assault and robbery of foreigners, particularly when travelling alone in a taxi late at night in major cities. Where possible, take an ‘official’ taxi, make sure someone knows where you are and try to take a note of the taxi’s number.

There are occasional incidents with taxi and pedicab drivers who insist the passenger misunderstood the fare. Avoid travelling in unmarked or unmetered ‘taxis’ and insist on paying only the meter fare. Ask the driver for a receipt (fapiao), on which the taxi number should be printed. You can take this to the police to lodge a complaint.

Counterfeit bank notes (especially RMB100) are increasingly common. They are generally crumpled to avoid detection but you may also receive them from ATMs. Unscrupulous traders may try to switch your genuine bank notes for counterfeits. Check carefully before accepting notes. It is quite normal to do so.

Beware of scams particularly in popular tourist areas. A regular example is the ‘tea tasting’ scam or ‘massage’ scam. Scams usually involve a foreign national being invited to visit a bar, shop or cafe – for example to practice English or meet a girl – or invited for a massage, but results in demands for an exorbitant fee, often payable by credit card. This can result in threats of violence, actual violence and credit card fraud.

Do not trek alone in isolated areas, including those that follow parts of the Great Wall. If you do, leave your itinerary, mobile number and expected time of return at your hotel or with a third party.

Areas bordering on Siberia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Laos and Burma are poorly policed. In Yunnan Province, drug smuggling and other crimes are increasing. There is a risk of attack from armed bandits in remote areas.

Some lawyers may be reluctant to accept cases involving foreigners. Contact your national embassy or consulate if you experience such difficulties.

The Chinese authorities undertake random drug testing on foreign nationals including on entry to the country. If a foreign national tests positive, the Chinese authorities can prosecute regardless of where or when the drugs had been consumed. There are extremely severe penalties for drugs offences, including the death penalty. A British national was executed in China for a drugs offence in December 2009. Other foreign nationals have been sentenced to death for drugs offences since then. On 1 January 2014, Khat (or Qat) was classified as an illegal drug in China and now carries the same penalties as other illegal drugs.

China doesn’t recognise dual nationality. If you enter China on a Chinese passport or identity card, your (other) national embassy may not be able to offer consular assistance. Any person born in China to a Chinese national parent will be considered by the Chinese authorities to have Chinese nationality. Travellers holding British passports for example, who also hold Chinese citizenship, may be regarded by the Chinese authorities as a Chinese citizen, even if you travel to China on a British passport. If you have formally renounced Chinese citizenship, you should carry clear evidence that you have done so.

Foreign nationals over 16 years of age must carry their passport with them at all times. Police carry out random checks, especially during periods of heightened security and major sporting or political events. Failure to produce your ID can lead to a fine or detention. If you renew your passport while you’re in China, you must register your new passport with the authorities promptly or face a fine.

The Chinese authorities maintain controls on internet access. Websites like Facebook, Youtube and Twitter are blocked. Other websites or email services (especially Google and Gmail) are blocked from time to time.

Gambling is illegal in mainland China.

There are restrictions on certain religious activities, including preaching and distributing religious materials. The Falun Gong movement is banned in China.

Homosexuality is not illegal although there are no specific laws in place to protect the rights of LGBT people.

If you are entering China for employment, study or private purposes for a stay of over six months, you must produce a health certificate, which includes a blood test for HIV, legalised by the Chinese Embassy.

You must register your place of residence with the local Public Security Bureau within 24 hours of arrival. Chinese authorities enforce this requirement with regular spot-checks of foreigners’ documentation. If you’re staying in a hotel, registration is done on your behalf as part of the check-in process.

If you are transiting through ports in Shanghai, Zhejiang Province or Jiangsu Province, and travelling on to a third country within 144 hours, you can now also enter China visa-free. You must be staying in Shanghai municipality, Zhejiang Province or Jiangsu Province, and have evidence of your onward journey to a third country within 144 hours of arrival. These visa-exemptions are for transit only – you cannot use them to enter China with return flights from your origin country. In all other circumstances, if your stopover requires you to leave the airport terminal you will need a transit visa for both the outward and return journeys. If you’re staying within the airport for up to 24 hours, you don’t need a transit visa.

These countries are as follows: Albania; Argentina; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Brazil; Brunei; Bulgaria; Canada; Chile; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iceland; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Latvia; Lithuania; Republic of Korea; Luxemburg; Macedonia; Malta; Montenegro; New Zealand; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russia; Serbia; Singapore; Slovakia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; The Netherlands; UAE; UK; Ukraine; USA.