From September 19 to 20, the 10th China International Rescue and Salvage Conference and the Salvage Committee of CIN Annual Conference 2018 & the 4th Asia-Pacific Regional Development Conference of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) were held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. There were nearly 300 Chinese and foreign participants from 26 countries and regions in this conference, focusing on the achievements made in the rescue and salvage industry over the past 40 years since reform and opening-up. They shared experience in innovative development and strategies together, ushering in a new journey for the high-quality rescue and salvage in the new era.
Xu Yuanzu, Maritime Ambassador of the International Maritime Organization and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport, attended the opening ceremony and delivered an address. According to Mr Xu, China Rescue and Salvage has developed and possessed the “three-in-one” functions of fast rescue in the air, rapid response on the water, and rescue and salvage under the water. It has become a national professional rescue and salvage team with over ten thousand members, playing an irreplaceable role in lifesaving, environmental protection and property security. In recent years, China Rescue and Salvage has constantly extended its work to the open sea and actively participated in major international rescue and salvage operations, making important contributions to the implementation of relevant international conventions and bilateral agreements.
Wang Zhenliang, Director General of Rescue and Salvage Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, proposed that people in the field of maritime rescue and salvage should strengthen communication, deepen cooperation, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind at sea. According to Wang, this proposal covers four main aspects. Firstly, we should build a Regular Emergency Response mechanism to create a community with a shared future for mankind at sea. Secondly, we should focus on constructing a cooperative mechanism for maritime response emergency rescue and salvage along the route of the “Belt and Road". China Rescue and Salvage will set up an international maritime emergency rescue and salvage team and make efforts to ensure the 24-hour worldwide delivery of its force. Thirdly, we will focus on enhancing the integrated emergency response capabilities in large-scale rescue under harsh ocean conditions, searching and positioning in deep- and open-sea, salvage of the whole large-tonnage sunken ships in a short time, and handling with large areas of oil spills, shipwreck oil spills, and dangerous chemicals pollution. Fourthly, we will further establish and improve the bilateral and multilateral communication and cooperation mechanism for maritime rescue and salvage. We will enhance mutual exchanges, contribution and sharing of ideas, information, technology, equipment and talents.
China International Rescue & Salvage Conference has been held 10 times successfully, evolving into an distinctive and important academic exchanges and communication platform with cross-border and cross-department characteristics. The conference is one of the important activities for China Rescue and Savage to commemorate the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, aiming to promote the international exchanges and cooperation in production, education and scientific research both inside and outside the maritime rescue and salvage community. At the conference, “SANCHI” rescue, “Thailand cave rescue” and other major industry cases have gone under the spotlight by public. During the conference, salvage equipment exhibitions are also organized.
