WesWorld

The Empire of China operated several separate maritime law enforcement agencies in the past. These services operated ships as well as their own small aviation units to assist their maritime patrol capabilities. These agencies were often referred to as the "Two Dragons". In December 1947, the government of China announced it would form a unified Coast Guard commanded by the China Maritime Safety Administration. During wartime the Coast Guard will be placed under the operational control of the Chinese Navy. It will be in operation from January 1948.

The former China Marine Surveillance & Coast Guard (CMSCG), created on 12 November 1931 - after the El-Derretir epidemic, was a paramilitary maritime law enforcement agency. The force was responsible for enforcing laws and order within China's territorial waters, and shores; protecting the maritime environment, natural resources, navigation aids and other facilities; and carrying out maritime surveys. In emergencies, these forces could also be deployed for other missions such as search and rescue.

The former Chinese Coastal Command was the successor of the Chinese Air Force Sea Rescue Services which coordinated maritime search and rescue in the territorial waters of the chinese empire, Maritime Law enforcement, aids to navigation support (such as operating lighthouses and fire ships), and marine environmental protection.

The current China Coast Guard serves as a coordinating body for patrolling of territorial waters and disputed territories, anti-smuggling and anti-piracy, maritime policing and ship inspections, harbour and coastal security, research and survey, Search and Rescue, Fisheries Protection and maritime customs service.
The organization is divided into 9 districts, which correspond to the individual coastal provinces. The number of bases (Coast Guard Stations and Coast Guard Air Stations) differ from district to district. The HQ of the Coast Guard is at Qingdao and the CCG is commanded by Vice Admiral Ma Lianxiang, the districts are commanded by a Rear Admiral, and the individual fleets are led by a Captain.

The largest operational unit of the CCG is a CCG flotilla, which is a regimental-level unit in China’s military administrative hierarchy. Every coastal province has 1 to 3 Coast Guard flotillas. Currently there are twenty CCG flotillas across the country:

The Coast Guard carries out regular patrols and inspections in China’s coastal waters and shorelines using own vessels and aircrafts. These vessels are managed by a Coast Guard Station. In a Coast Guard Station all facilities are placed to support, maintain and facilitate the missions of the sea and air units, e.g. radio operating systems, radar systems, refueling and and all other needed support facilities.

A Coast Guard Air Station provides aviation support for the China Coast Guard. The Coast Guard operates aircraft from 19 Coast Guard Air Stations in the Chinese Empire. Fixed-wing aircraft and also flightboats for long range missions are stationed and also helicopters operate from Air Stations and flight deck equipped cutters.

The aircraft of the CCG have the call sign "Albatross" and is followed by a number. These aircrafts are painted in white with the blue "racing stripes" and wording "China Coast Guard" in english and chinese.

A weather ship or weather observation ship is a stationary ship on the ocean, equipped with meteorological instruments. On this meteorological observations are consistently done and are reported via radio at the synoptic hours of 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800. Weather ships also serve as medical emergency stations and rescue aircraft mission platforms. In addition to the special weather ships also merchant ships can send weather reports. The scope of weather observation on a weather ship includes the same weather elements as an observation at a land station, extended by elements such as water temperature, wave height, wave period, the direction from which the waves come from, the height of an existing swell and its direction.

A lightship is a manned or unmanned vessel anchored at a certain position and equipped with a beacon similar to a lighthouse that serves as a navigational sign of maritime navigation. Light ships usually carry a white-red color scheme and are provided on the side wall with a clearly visible name for the position. These ships are always on a fixed position and are also entered in the nautical charts and other navigation aids. These vessels have light beacons (similar to a lighthouse), beacons for fog (fog horns, signal guns), radio and underwater sounders (sonar), passive radar reflectors and other aids to report quickly their position at any time to passing or these position-seeking ships. Light ships are anchored at seafaring positions where due to the depth of the water or due to the nature of the ground a lighthouse could not be erected or only with great effort. Daytime signs such as balls or cones hoisted in a prominent location signaling to the other ships that the lightship is in position. The lightship also contains sleeping and recreation rooms for the crew and additional spaces for possible shipwrecked persons.

The Chinese have developed deluxe buoys for flyers of the air force brought down while operating over the chinese sea. The "Sea Rescue Boy" (short SRB) was constructed under the direction of the CNDO in cooperation with the CMSCG in 1940. These buoys are anchored far offshore.

The buoys are of square or hexagonal construction and have a floor space of about 43 square feet with an 8-foot cabin rising above the float. On the upper deck of this cabin, there is an oval turret 6 feet high with a signal mast carrying a wireless antenna. Tube railings to which the distressed flyers may cling run along the outer circumference below and above the water line. A ladder leads up to the turret, in which there is a door opening into the cabin below. A 320-foot red and yellow striped rope anchors the buoy at a fixed location, but allows a limited drift, thereby indicating the direction of the current to aircraft in distress. The buoy is painted light yellow above the water line, and red crosses against white oval backgrounds are painted on each side of the turret. The cabin accommodates four persons comfortably for several days, and in an emergency, the crews of several aircraft can be taken care of. It is electrically lighted by storage batteries, but in case of a breakdown kerosene lamps or other lighting devices are provided. There are two double-deck beds and adequate cupboard space for first-aid equipment, dry clothing and shoes, emergency rations, and a water supply. Hot food may be prepared on an alcohol stove. Cognac to relieve chill and cigarettes to quiet the nerves are also provided. Games, stationery, playing cards, etc. afford diversion until rescue is effected. Depleted supplies are always immediately replaced upon the arrival of the rescue ship. A tubular lifeboat is available for transferring the downed aviators from the buoy to the ship. Signalling is accomplished by hoisting a black anchor ball and a yellow and red striped flag on the mast during the day. At night, red and white lights in the turret indicate that rescued men are on board. A white anchor light on the mast is visible for 3,000 feet or more. SOS signals giving the location of the buoy are automatically sent out by an emergency wireless transmitter. Signal pistols with red and white lights, white-light parachute flares, or a smoke, distress-signalling apparatus complete the signalling equipment.