Law of the People's Republic of China on Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone

Law of the People's Republic of China on Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone

Order of the President [1992] No. 55

February 25, 1992

(Adopted at the 24th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Seventh National People's Congress on February 25, 1992, promulgated by Order of the President [1992] No.55 on February 25, 1992, and effective as of the same date)

Article 1 This Law is enacted for the People's Republic of China to exercise its sovereignty over its territorial sea and the control over its contiguous zone, and to safeguard its national security and its maritime rights and interests.

Article 2 The territorial sea of the People's Republic of China is the sea belt adjacent to the land territory and the internal waters of the People's Republic of China.
The land territory of the People's Republic of China includes the mainland of the People's Republic of China and its coastal islands; Taiwan and all islands appertaining thereto including the Diaoyu Islands; the Penghu Islands; the Dongsha Islands; the Xisha Islands; the Zhongsha Islands and the Nansha Islands; as well as all the other islands belonging to the People's Republic of China.
The waters on the landward side of the baselines of the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China constitute the internal waters of the People's Republic of China.

Article 3 The breadth of the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China is twelve nautical miles, measured from the baselines of the territorial sea.
The method of straight baselines composed of all the straight lines joining the adjacent base points shall be employed in drawing the baselines of the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China.
The outer limit of the territorial sea of the People's Republic of China is the line every point of which is at a distance equal to twelve nautical miles from the nearest point of the baseline of the territorial sea.

Article 4 The contiguous zone of the People's Republic of China is the sea belt adjacent to and beyond the territorial sea.
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