Port safety and security is the prerequisite of normal operation and sound development of port. Shanghai port operators have long been giving the utmost priority to safety and security and targeting at an international safe port. After the 911 incident, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) passed the amendment of maritime security to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 (SOLAS) and the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) by adding contents concerning ship and port facility security. As a comprehensive international hub port, Shanghai Port is, apart from natural disasters, confronted with terrorism against port facilities and calling ships. Moreover, as Yangshan Deep-water Port District was put into operation, the scope of port safety and security is extended from rivers to the ocean islands. It is an extremely urgent task with great hardship to build sea/river combined safety and security management system and guarantee such safety and security in the international circle.

    After official implementation of Port Law since January 1st 2004, Shanghai Municipal Port Administration Bureau gradually set up and improved safety and security management mechanism by special inspection of port safe production and administrative law enforcement. By trial surveillance of law enforcement, joint case handling and improvement of all-port superintendence, the safe and security management network has taken shape. The port safety and security legislation system gets perfection by consecutive rules and regulations, e.g. the Administrative Rules for Harbor and Navigation Affairs in Shanghai Yanshan Deep-water Port District, Award System for Reporting Serious Near-accident or Breach Conduct Against Safe Production of Dangerous Goods Handling at Shanghai Port, Circular of Shanghai Municipal Port Administration Bureau on Strengthening Administration of Application for Port Handling of Packaged Dangerous Goods, Circular of Shanghai Municipal Port Administration Bureau on Standardizing Administration of Waterway Tourism and Passenger Transport in Shanghai, etc. On the basis of Collection of Contingency Precautions of Shanghai Port and Shipping Industry, a three-level port contingency reaction system has been established. The port safety and security management system is also improved by coordination and collaboration with municipal comprehensive safety surveillance department, waterway traffic safety authority, port-related entities and public security organs. The administration enhancement of port handling of dangerous goods and shipment of dangerous goods on inland waterways, port facility security, traffic conditions harnessing, passenger transport management and monitoring of danger in water engineering projects all put a curb on occurrence of accidents and thus the safety and security of Shanghai Port is now under full and complete control.

    Shanghai Municipal Port Administration Bureau always lays stress on port security as indispensable part of building international safe port and improving port administration and thus seriously carries out security training, annual audit, entrusted assessment, expert review and drilling exercise. Since December 2003, as required by the Ministry of Communications of PRC and organized by the port administration, 498 persons from the relevant authorities and foreign-related port enterprises attended the ministerial training of port facility security and accordingly obtained qualification certificates. Since January 2004, the qualified security entity conducted assessment of 76 foreign-related terminal enterprises and 85 port facilities as well as security risk evaluation of the Donghai Grand Bridge located in Yangshan Port District. Totally 23 expert meetings were organized to invite more than 350 person/time scholars and experts to check 170 assessment reports of plans of port facility security. All the foreign-related port facilities should undergo annual audit since June 2005 and 64 port facilities got valid certification in 2007. On June 26th 2004, Shanghai Municipal Port Administration Bureau successfully performed the first land/sea/air combined port facility security drill in China at Shanghai Pudong International Container Terminal Co., Ltd. (the first-phase project). It also conducted the first ship/port/bridge security interplay drilling at Shanghai Shengdong International Container Terminal Co., Ltd. (the first-phase project in Yangshan) on November 23rd 2005. Furthermore, the Implementing Procedures of Shanghai Port Facility Security Plan were formulated by taking reference of advanced security experience both at home and abroad to establish the regional contingency reaction procedures according to different security levels and events. The port administration also initiated the bulletin system for port facility security and security guards. On October 31st 2007, the Ministry of Communications and Shanghai Municipal Government jointly held the Port Facility Security Drill Showing Chinese Government Performance of SOLAS Convention 2007 and achieved great success.