China's two top rescue teams pass UN reclassification

China's two leading rescue teams have successfully passed the United Nations International Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Reclassification Assessment, receiving their certifications during a ceremony in Beijing on Thursday.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group brought together 18 international assessors from 14 countries to conduct a rigorous 40-hour earthquake rescue simulation on the China Rescue Team and the China International Search and Rescue Team from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The assessors unanimously agreed the two teams met the standards required to pass the reclassification, the ministry said.

Sarah Muscroft, director of the response support branch at UN OCHA, praised the teams' performance.

"The Chinese teams this time both qualified with very few comments, which is excellent. They performed at a very high standard," she said.

Li Guangnai, captain of the China Rescue Team, said the team has participated in international rescue missions in Mozambique, Turkiye and Myanmar over the past five years, as well as four national-level emergency drills in China. He said the experience gained helped the team meet the re-evaluation criteria and laid a solid foundation for enhancing overall capabilities.

At the ceremony, Muscroft presented the certification and expressed hope that the teams will play a greater role in future global rescue operations. She also conveyed gratitude for China's contributions to international humanitarian efforts.

More than 60 international rescue experts, along with representatives from China's national fire and rescue forces, the Hong Kong rescue team and civil emergency organizations, observed the assessment, according to the ministry.

Since its establishment in August 2018, the China Rescue Team has passed the UN's heavy rescue team evaluation twice. The China International Search and Rescue Team, established in April 2001, has now achieved the certification four times.

Only 33 rescue teams worldwide have met the UN's stringent International Heavy Urban Search and Rescue standards, the ministry said.