中國海警法立法與實踐之研究

Abstract

近年來，中國積極透過整併海上執法機構與制定相關法規，強化對周邊海域的實質控制，逐步推進其「海洋強國」戰略布局。自2013年整合多個海上執法單位成立國家海洋局、2018年將海警部隊納入武警序列、至2021年《海警法》正式施行，中國已完成海上執法權力的高度集中，不僅為海警行動提供法律依據，也建構出具有正當性與常態化的執法格局。這些法制進展表面上屬於內政範疇，實際上卻對區域海洋秩序產生深遠影響。《海警法》授權海警可執行驅離、登檢乃至使用武力等行動，條文內容涵蓋範圍廣泛、彈性極高，執行上易產生擴權與誤用爭議。在國際法框架下，《海警法》是否與《海洋法公約》相符，長期以來備受質疑。國際法學界普遍認為，中國透過模糊法條與國內立法，意圖超越國際法準則，重新詮釋專屬經濟區與領海的主權內涵，破壞既有以規則為基礎的海洋秩序，對區域穩定構成挑戰。此外，中國持續運用「非軍事但具威懾性」的灰色地帶操作策略，將海警行動作為維護權益的重要工具，在不引發全面衝突的前提下，逐步鞏固對爭議海域的事實控制。透過法律與執法行動的交互運用，中國有效模糊軍事與執法界線，塑造新的地緣現實，進一步壓縮周邊國家的反應空間。其中，南海作為中國推動海洋戰略的核心場域，不僅涉及多國主權聲索與資源爭奪，也成為域外強權高度關注的焦點。南海擁有豐富的漁業與能源資源，並肩負全球重要海上航運通道的角色。面對中國在此區域加速進行填海造陸、部署海警船艦與強化巡邏機制，菲律賓、越南等周邊國家，以及美國、日本、澳洲等域外勢力，紛紛升高軍事部署、加強聯合巡航與政策協作，試圖遏制中國以「執法」為名、實則擴張控制的行動。

In recent years, China has actively strengthened its effective control over surrounding waters by consolidating maritime law enforcement agencies and enacting relevant regulations, gradually advancing its “maritime power” strategic layout. Since the establishment of the National Oceanic Administration in 2013 through the integration of multiple maritime law enforcement units, the incorporation of the Coast Guard into the People's Armed Police in 2018, and the formal implementation of the Coast Guard Law in 2021, China has achieved a high degree of centralization of maritime law enforcement authority. This not only provides a legal basis for Coast Guard operations but also establishes a law enforcement framework characterized by legitimacy and routine enforcement. While these legal developments appear to fall within the realm of domestic affairs, they have profound implications for regional maritime order. The Coast Guard Law authorizes the coast guard to carry out actions such as expulsion, boarding inspections, and even the use of force. The provisions of the law cover a wide range of scenarios and are highly flexible, making their implementation prone to disputes over overreach and misuse. Under the framework of international law, the China Coast Guard Law has long been questioned for its compatibility with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The international legal community generally believes that China is attempting to circumvent international legal standards through vague legal provisions and domestic legislation, reinterpreting the sovereign implications of exclusive economic zones and territorial seas, thereby undermining the existing rules-based maritime order and posing a challenge to regional stability.Additionally, China continues to employ “non-military but deterrent” gray-zone operational strategies, using coast guard actions as a key tool to safeguard its interests. Without provoking full-scale conflict, China gradually consolidates its de facto control over disputed waters. Through the interplay of legal and enforcement actions, China effectively blurs the lines between military and law enforcement, shaping new geopolitical realities and further compressing the response space of neighboring countries.Among these, the South China Sea serves as the core arena for China's maritime strategy, involving not only multiple countries' sovereignty claims and resource disputes but also becoming a focal point of intense attention from external powers. The South China Sea is rich in fisheries and energy resources and plays a crucial role as a global maritime shipping route. In response to China's accelerated land reclamation, deployment of coast guard vessels, and strengthen patrol mechanisms in the region, neighboring countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as external powers like the United States, Japan, and Australia, have escalated military deployments, strengthened joint patrols, and enhanced policy coordination to counter China's actions, which are ostensibly “law enforcement” but effectively aimed at expanding control.