Chinese port faces another corruption charge

Tianjin’s discipline inspection commission said in a circular that port planning expert Li Wei, who has served in Tianjin Port since 2000, turned himself in to the authorities and is now under investigation, according to Splash.

This follows four senior officials of Tianjin Port, including the vice president of the group, being detained by authorities last month for corruption investigations, reported Splash.

In the past three years, two former chairmen of Tianjin Port were arrested for corruption and another one was sacked for dereliction of duty following the huge chemical blasts at the port.

Early sulphur enforcement

Taiwan’s seaports will enforce the use of 0.5% sulphur content fuel from 1 January 2019, ahead of IMO’s Marpol Annex VI global regulation from 2020, West of England P&I Club correspondents Pro-Marine Law Office, Taipei, has noted.

Guidance issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), advises that vessels entering international commercial port areas in Taiwan shall utilize either fuel oil with a sulphur content of not more than 0.5% m/m by weight, or equivalent methods of emission reduction in accordance with the MARPOL Convention.

Any alternative means of compliance with the regulations must be approved by the vessel’s Flag Administration, said the Club

Seatrade Maritime News said the ports that will enforce the sulphur cap regulation include Keelung, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Hualien, Taipei, Suao, and Anpin.