Unlike most countries, China has no unified coast guard. Instead it has five independent maritime agencies with a combined total of 40,000 personnel. Over the past decade it has vastly expanded the roles and capabilities of these agencies until they are now treated as instruments of foreign policy. The largest of the five agencies is the Maritime Safety Administration, which employs 20,000 people and is tasked with implementing maritime laws. A second group, the Maritime Police, is part of China's Border Control Department and is sometimes called the Chinese Coast Guard. The Maritime Police appears to be the only agency that is officially armed, so it is responsible for reinforcing the other agencies. A third agency is the General Administration of Customs, which counters smuggling and is responsible for port control. A fourth agency, the Fisheries Law Enforcement Command, is used to stake fishing claims in disputed waters.