Regulations of the people’s republic of China on the prevention and control of Marine Pollution from Ships (No.8) 8 August 2011 No.11-009 We refer Members to previous circulars on the Regulations of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the Prevention and Control of Marine Pollution from Ships ("the Regulations"), and the postponement of the requirement that owners/operators of (a) any ship carrying polluting and hazardous cargoes in bulk or (b) any other vessel above 10,000 gt enter into a pollution clean up contract with a Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) approved pollution response company before the vessel enters a PRC port. Members were previously informed that the MSA Notice issued on 20 May 2011 stated that the lists of level 2, 3 and 4 contractors would be issued by the MSA by 31 August 2011 and the list of level 1 contractors issued during the course of the year 1 . The International Group has maintained contact with the MSA and now understands that the lists of all approved contractors will be issued in October 2011. The requirement to contract with an approved clean up contractor will still be enforced in all Chinese ports from 1 January 2012. There will therefore be a relatively short period of time for operators to contract with an approved spill responder. Members have also previously been advised that the term "operator" for the purposes of concluding and signing the contract with a clean up contractor is defined by the MSA as the owner, manager or actual operator of a ship. In respect of those operators not domiciled in China, the International Group now understands that the ship's agent in port, Club correspondent, local law firm or another legal entity located in mainland China (not Hong Kong, China or Macau, China) may sign the contract on behalf of the operator if authorised by the operator to do so. The International Group understands that the Master may also sign the contract, which may be necessary in certain circumstances, for example w