Shanghai to Implement Container Security Initiative

The Chinese port of Shanghai has become the 36th world port to implement the Container Security Initiative that screens U.S.-bound cargo for weapons of mass destruction, the U.S. Homeland Security Department announced yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 24).

“The China-U.S. cooperation on CSI that has been launched in Shanghai is a good start for cooperation between customs authorities in China and the U.S.,” Chinese Customs Minister Mou Xinsheng said yesterday, according to a press release.

Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin in October 2002 made a tentative commitment to join the initiative.  In July 2003, Mou and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner signed a declaration of principles to prescreen cargo heading to the United States from the ports of Shanghai and Shenzhen.

“The Container Security Initiative is the only formal program in operation today that is designed to detect and deter terrorists from exploiting the vulnerabilities of containerized cargo.  We appreciate the continued support of CSI by President Hu Jintao,” Bonner said yesterday in the release.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to deploy officials to Shanghai to work with personnel there to screen suspect cargo, the press release states (U.S. Homeland Security Department release, April 28).

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