Maritime forces provide safe haven for the region

BEIJING: China has deployed search-and-rescue forces on the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea as a public service to the region, according to the Transport Ministry.

It said in a news release on Saturday that the Second Air Rescue Team for the South China Sea and the Nansha Maritime Search and Rescue Center have recently moved to the Nansha Islands to support local maritime emergency and rescue missions, and supervise maritime traffic safety and ship pollution in the region.

Maritime affairs offices for the Yongshu, Zhubi and Meiji reefs have also been opened, according to the release.

These joint efforts can help ensure safe navigation and the normal living and working activities of the people inhabiting the region.

The undertaking is a public service that China is providing for the international community, and the nation is proactively shouldering international obligations and responsibilities, the ministry said.

It is a testimony to China’s principle of peaceful development and being a responsible nation, thus promoting peace, friendship and cooperation in the South China Sea, it added. — China Daily/ANN