China enjoys a long history of navigation. Zheng He, the great navigator of the 15th century who sailed to the west in his seven epic voyages, was the pioneer of world navigation and his ‘Navigation Chart of Zheng He’ records this great contribution. The Maritime Safety Administration of China currently undertakes hydrographic survey together with the Guarantee Department of the Chinese Navy Headquarters and CHINA MSA attends the IHO on behalf of the Chinese government.

CHINA MSA has established three regional hydrographical centres in Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shanghai, which undertake the surveying and charting of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea respectively. All this surveying and charting production is in accordance with the related IHO standards. CHINA MSA owns ten surveying vessels and various surveying and charting equipment, such as multi-beam echosounder, side-scan sonar and CARIS charting software. At the same time, it has developed hydrographic and charting software, now its own intellectual property.

China presently updates and publishes more than 700 charts at many scales and is responsible for other publications such as the Navigation Atlas, Tide Tables, Notices to Mariners and Port Information etc. These cover over sixty port openings, vital waterways and coastal sea areas, forming the Chinese civil navigational publication series, with characteristics. These publications are popular with the mariner for their good quality, integrative information and quick update.

In the face of the fast development of modern electronic information and navigational technology, CHINA MSA is responding actively. We have established the ENC Centre in Shanghai, where over 400 China coastal ENCs have been produced according to international standards. The newly developed Marine GIS provides an efficient digital information platform for intelligent navigation, port building and safety management.
Within the framework of IMO, IHO and IALA, CHINA MSA is actively participating in international exchange and co-operation and plays a more and more important role in international and regional affairs. In 2001, CHINA MSA held the IHO Charts Exhibition, which was recognised as the most successful exhibition in IHO history. In 2002, the 12th CHRIS meeting was held in Shanghai. In November 2003, China hosted the 8th EAHC Conference as the chairman of EAHC, which achieved good appraisement from the IHO officers and other representatives.

China will continue to adhere firmly to IMO and IHO Conventions, provide more efficient and comprehensive safety information services to the mariner and fully ensure the navigational safety of both domestic and foreign ships in her coastal areas.