Angela Yu. 05 February 2015.  The AIS Information Service Platform by China Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) was officially launched yesterday, and real-time AIS data in China's coastal areas and rivers are now traceable.

AIS data of around 35,000 ships are available for the public every day, according to China MSA, and ship information can be searched in terms of real-time location and speed.

The platform also integrates port information, tides forecast and meteorological information, stated China MSA, and the highlight of this platform is that it overlaps land and sea charts together.

"AIS provide accurate information of ships, and can greatly shorten the time of search and rescue in case of [an] accident," stated Xu Jixiang, a senior official from China MSA. He added that with the help of AIS, the maritime departments will be able to prevent collision accidents and track hit-and-run ships.

China also developed the ship-based Beidou AIS terminal in January 2014, combining China's Beidou navigation satellite system and AIS, and has applied it on maritime vessels and survey ships.

Data from China's Ministry of Transport showed that as of May 2013, China MSA has established the world's largest shore-based AIS network.

Source: www.ihsmaritime360.com