China Coast Guard Regulations Allowing the country to detain foreigners suspected of entering waters for what it says will be held for up to 60 days came into effect on Saturday, fueling fears of escalation amid rising tensions in the disputed South and East China Seas.
The updated regulations, which were announced last month and are an extension of China’s 2021 Coast Guard Law, provide detailed procedural guidelines for cracking down on what it defines as illegal activities in “waters under the jurisdiction of China.”
It stipulates that foreign nationals suspected of violating Chinese immigration rules or “endangering national security interests or undermining public order” in the country’s claimed waters can be detained for 30 days, or up to 60 days in “complicated cases ”.
