UKHO Signs Agreement With Chinese MSA
The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has signed a new Bilateral Agreement with the Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) of The People's Republic of China. This arrangement between the UKHO and China MSA refers to the distribution of ENC cells produced by China MSA through the UKHO's Admiralty Vector Chart Service (AVCS).
The UKHO and China MSA are both members of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) and this latest agreement further extends what has historically been a productive and mutually respectful working relationship for paper and raster chart data.
Both organisations share a combined focus on improving the safety of navigation at sea and this arrangement further supports the IHO resolution for the provision of adequate global ENC coverage of the main international shipping routes by 2010. The inclusion of Chinese official data is a significant addition to this coverage and quality in the Far East which sees a high volume and diversity of shipping traffic that has to comply with Chapter V of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Regulations in respect of official and carriage compliant navigational charts and publications.
