Chinese search and rescue teams pass UN reclassification

The China Search and Rescue Team and the China International Search and Rescue Team successfully passed the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Reclassification.

The certification ceremony was held in Beijing on Thursday, with China's Vice Minister of Emergency Management Xu Jia'ai and Sarah Muscroft, representative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), in attendance.

The test was overseen by INSARAG, a global network established in 1991 under the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The group focuses on responding to disasters such as earthquakes.

China is the first Asian country to have two INSARAG-certified heavy urban search and rescue teams. This certification enables them to conduct operations both domestically and internationally in line with global standards.

Xu emphasized that the Chinese government has always placed strong importance on international humanitarian rescue efforts. He expressed hope that, using this reclassification as a new starting point, the teams will continue to sharpen their readiness and strengthen their capabilities, striving to become elite forces capable of efficiently responding to emergencies at home and abroad.

Muscroft presented certificates to both teams, congratulating them on their outstanding performance in the reclassification and thanking the Chinese government for its vital contributions to international humanitarian efforts.

"For us in the United Nations, we very much value the leadership role that China plays not just in the region but within the INSARAG network," Muscroft told CGTN.

From May 27 to 28, UNOCHA and INSARAG organized a comprehensive and standardized assessment of the two teams, conducted by 18 international evaluators from 14 countries.

After more than 40 hours of high-intensity, uninterrupted earthquake rescue drills, the evaluators unanimously agreed that both Chinese teams met the standards for reclassification. Over 60 experts in international rescue, along with national comprehensive fire and rescue teams, the rescue team of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and social emergency forces, observed the reclassification process on-site.

To date, 33 rescue teams worldwide have passed the INSARAG Heavy USAR classification. Since its establishment in August 2018, the China Search and Rescue Team has passed the classification twice. The China International Search and Rescue Team, established in April 2001, has now passed the classification four times.