Beijing tells China ships in Strait of Hormuz to phone home, flags ‘shipping safety'
Check in once a day so we know you're OK – that is the message China has sent to all domestic shipping vessels traversing the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran mulls closure of the key oil trade route following
air strikes by the United States at the weekend.
Effective immediately, all shipping companies and ship-management firms must submit daily reports with specific details from vessels transiting not only the Hormuz – a critically important shipping chokepoint – but also the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, which the strait connects.
Monday's notice, posted online by the China Shipowners' Association (CSA), which operates under the Ministry of Transport, requires companies to report the vessel names, unique IMO numbers, type, flags, capacities, departure and destination ports, planned voyage times, crew sizes and daily movements through that region.
And not just current or future ships – the CSA is also requiring that data be provided on past vessels that transited the region, since the beginning of last year.
'The ongoing tensions in the Red Sea have had widespread and profound impacts on shipping safety in surrounding waters,' the association said, noting that information collected in these key regions is crucial to ensuring national interests.
02:37
Iran threatens to shut Strait of Hormuz after US bombs key nuclear sites
Iran threatens to shut Strait of Hormuz after US bombs key nuclear sites
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