China’s Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) promulgated a notice on keywords in 2021 on seafarers administration on 22^nd January 2021 [Ref: (2021) No. 90], which was addressed to all branch offices of China MSA, with copies to local shipping companies, publications, and maritime training institutions etc.

The purpose of the notice is to “focus on the international strategy and development of high-quality seafarers as per the spirit of the recent national transportation work conference and the national maritime work conference.

Basically, the key works in 2021 are described as followings:

A. The promotion of new patterns of seafarer development

-      To develop and implement “Guidelines on Strengthening the Development of High Quality Seafarers”.

-      To continue to promote the current reform of seafarer administration in the pioneer Demonstration Zone, the pilot Free Trade Zone, the New Western Channel in Shenzhen, and the reforms in Hainan free trade port, and to promote the integrated development of seafarer management in Yangtze River Delta, Beijing Tianjin Hebei areas and Greater Bay Area.

-      To improve seafarer administration to better sever the economic and social development in China, in coordination with the formulation of the 14^th Five-Year Development Plan for China Maritime.

B. The promotion of coordinated and innovative developments for seafarer services

-      To promote the digitalization of seafarer certificates with a goal of ‘One Seafarer, One Certificate and One Code.

-      To facilitate seafarer services by vigorously implement physical and mental health care for seafarers.

-      To development a seafarer administration credit system to supervise major responsibilities of shipping companies in the training and deployment of seafarers.

-      To strengthen international cooperation for better implementation of international conventions.

C. The improvements of basic functions of seafarer administration

-      To perform a complete revision of the relevant seafarer administrative regulations as in the ‘Maritime Traffic Safety Law’, and to carry out developments, amendments and abrogation of seafarer administration regulations as per the international conventions.

-      To perform the reform of seafarer examination system, the quality evaluation of maritime education and the implementation of seafarer examination and certification rules, and to promote the unification of maritime training syllabus to support the training of high-quality seafarers.

-      To protect the legitimate rights and interests of seafarers, to improve seafarer service mechanism, to promote the implementation of international maritime labor conventions, and to improve the tripartite coordination mechanism of maritime labor relations.

-      To strengthen the capability-building of seafarer administrative team to improve the seafarer administrations.

-      To perform seafarer administrative law enforcement through strict supervision and secret visits etc.