The Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Monday it is seeking public feedback on a regulation to control pollution from boats and ships.
The regulation, if passed, will be the first of its kind to specifically target emissions from the shipping sector. Currently, regulations exist on the discharge of water and solid waste from ships.
The regulation will be in line with international standards. In a separate regulation on the control of industrial waste from the shipping sector, the ministry included emissions from volatile organic chemicals generated during the ship building process.
Xiong Yuehui, an official with the ministry, said China had some 172,600 vessels with net deadweight of 244 million tonnes as of 2013. It also has eight out of the world's 10 largest ports in term of cargo handling capacity.
It is estimated that the shipping sector accounted for 8.4 percent of China's sulfur dioxide emissions, and 11.3 percent of nitric oxide in 2013.
Xiong said the new regulation, which also includes provisions on marine fuel oil usage, will benefit coastal cities, riverside cities and port cities.
