China Oceanic Development Foundation: China and ASEAN countries work together to guard the safety of the South China Sea

BEIJING,Dec. 1,2021 -- Looking at the earth from space,what you see is a blue planet,71% of which is covered by the ocean. Zooming in,you will see ships moving day and night,and 90% of the world's trade is carried out on the ocean. But the ocean not only gestates life,but also lurks hidden dangers. Maritime accidents often involve critical situations,urgent tasks,and complicated meteorological conditions,which makes it difficult for a single country to effectively carry out rescue operations. Therefore,strengthening cooperation in maritime search and rescue among different countries has become necessary for coastal countries.

China and ASEAN countries share the long coastline of eastern and southeastern Asia. With the rapid development of the shipping industry in the China-ASEAN waters,maritime transportation has become increasingly busy,and maritime traffic emergencies and accidents have occurred from time to time. The South China Sea is one of the busiest sea passages in the world today,with approximately 100,000 ships passing through every year. Cooperating with other countries to ensure the safety of navigation in the South China Sea has become China's responsibility.

To promote pragmatic cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in the field of maritime search and rescue,China proposed the project of "China-ASEAN Maritime Joint Search and Rescue Tabletop and Filed Exercise" at the Sixth Senior Officials Meeting of China-ASEAN Countries for the implementation of the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" in September 2013. China-ASEAN joint maritime search and rescue tabletop exercise was held in Guangdong on September 27,2016. Following this,China and ASEAN launched the first China-ASEAN joint maritime search and rescue filed exercise in Zhanjiang,Guangdong on October 31,2017. The simulation involved a scene in which a Chinese passenger liner "Magic" collided with a Cambodian cargo vessel "Jupiter" about ten nautical miles east of Nansan Island,Zhanjiang,which caused a massive leak of the former ship and posed a life-threatening danger to passengers on board. In the scenario,29 people fall into the water,328 wait to be transferred,and 8 people are injured,of whom 2 are seriously injured and need to be transferred to shore immediately for treatment by helicopter. Fifty-seven representatives from 6 ASEAN countries - including Thailand,the Philippines,Cambodia,Myanmar,Laos,and Brunei - and 20 ships,2 helicopters,and more than 1,000 people from China's maritime affairs,salvage,coast guard,and fishery administration departments participated in the exercise.

In addition to cooperation in tabletop exercises and filed exercises,China and ASEAN countries have also conducted extensive cooperation in holding various training programs. On July 17,2017,China Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center held the China-ASEAN Maritime Search and Rescue Coordinator Training Class in Shanghai,with 23 personnel from 8 ASEAN countries participating in the training. This two-week class was taught by experts in maritime search and rescue and emergency response according to the instructions of the "International Aviation and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual". And the course content mainly consisted of search and rescue knowledge and skills,professional equipment application,and international conventions and regulations. From September 14 to 27,2019,the "China-ASEAN Countries Maritime Search and Rescue Advanced Training Course",organized by China Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center and hosted by Dalian Maritime University,was held in Dalian. Twenty-nine trainees from 9 ASEAN countries,including Cambodia,Indonesia,Malaysia,Singapore,Thailand,Vietnam,and relevant maritime search and rescue centers in China participated in the training.

In addition,China-ASEAN countries also deployed the China-Cambodia and China-Laos emergency rescue hotlines in 2017 and 2018 respectively,which enabled China's maritime search and rescue departments to realize 24-hour communication through voice,video and instant messaging with relevant departments of Cambodia and Laos,providing communicational guarantee for maritime search and rescue and emergency response.

Since Columbus discovered the New World,the mystery of the ocean has been gradually unveiled,and the world has entered the era of globalization. With the deepening of globalization,maritime transportation,maritime search and rescue,and maritime cooperation are also proliferating. China and ASEAN countries will continue to work together to promote maritime search and rescue cooperation and exchanges at higher and deeper level under the framework of existing bilateral,multilateral,and regional cooperation mechanisms.