The Portuguese regulator has given the China Classification Society the authority to inspect merchant ships flying the Portuguese flag, issue safety and pollution prevention certificates for them, and check the building of new ships, Diário de Notícias da Madeira says.

The regulator, the Directorate-General for Maritime Natural Resources, Security and Services, announced in writing that the new arrangement will allow Portuguese-registered ships to operate in new markets, by ensuring they are right up to date, the Portuguese newspaper reported on Monday.

The report says the arrangement will benefit Madeira, an autonomous archipelagic region of Portugal, where most Portuguese–flagged ships are registered.

The regulator says it now has such arrangements with eight of the 12 members of the International Association of Classification Societies, according to Diário de Notícias da Madeira.