China's Revised Maritime Code Restructures Vessel-Source Oil Pollution

China’s revised Maritime Code is set to restructure how the country handles vessel-source oil pollution, a focus strengthened by new, centralized liability rules. In a Frontiers in Marine Science review, legal researchers Chuanyun Chen, Yi Huang and Siqi Sun analyzed the finalized text adopted by China’s Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress on October 28, 2025, effective May 1, 2026. The study highlights Chapter XII, a new 15-article division, Liability for Oil Pollution Damage from Ships. It elevates fragmented regulations into a unified framework covering China’s large merchant fleet by gross tonnage, supported by global spill and incident statistics cited in the paper.