China, Taiwan Conduct Joint SAR Drill

Both sides of the Taiwan Strait carried out joint marine search and rescue on August 7. It is the third large-scale cross-strait joint search-and-rescue drill since the direct shipping links between the two sides of the Strait was officially launched in 2008.

The drill was jointly-held by China Maritime Search and Rescue Center (CMSRC), Chinese Rescue Association, Fuzhou Municipal government, Matsu Lienchiang county government and the relevant search and rescue departments from both sides of the Strait. The theme of the drill is “launch joint maritime emergency response and build peace Strait”. This drill focused on mass evacuation after marine incident, which included 8 sectors such as organizing and presenting rescue force and so on. More than 550 rescuers, 33 vessels and four helicopters were mobilized for the drill. Half of the personnel were from Taiwan, which also sent 6 search boats, four patrol vessels and two helicopters.

According to statistics, Fujian Maritime Search and Rescue Center organized and implemented191 maritime search and rescue actions in the Taiwan Strait waters in 2013, successfully rescuing 162 vessels and 2042 people in distress, and the life salvage success rate was 98.03%.

msa.gov.cn