Major General wants a national coast guard

Beijing (CNS) – Under the current complicated grid situation in the South China and East China Seas, China needs to integrate its existing maritime law enforcement into a uniform national coastal security team, said Major General Luo Yuan on March 3.

Major General Luo Yuan is a member of the CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), and deputy secretary general of the China Association for Military Science. He received an interview from CNS on March 3.

Besides the Chinese navy, nine other forces safeguard navigation rights in China's coastal waters, explained Luo. The nine forces are departments of police, transportation, customs and agriculture, the anti-smuggling bureau, local governments, rescue centers and so on.

These forces complicate the security situation, with overlapping functions and redundant equipment purchases, said Luo, who is calling for a Chinese coast guard to unite the management of current strategic resources.

Luo Yuan suggested the government attach equal importance to marine industries as to the aerospace and aviation sectors, and establish a national institute for marine planning, coordination and command.