China's search and rescue capabilities reached a historic milestone this week as the China Search and Rescue Team and China International Search and Rescue Team secured reclassification under the United Nations' rigorous Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) standards. The achievement positions China as the first Asian country to maintain two INSARAG-certified teams capable of responding to global disasters.
At Thursday's certification ceremony in Beijing, Vice Minister of Emergency Management Xu Jia'ai highlighted China's commitment to international humanitarian efforts: "This reclassification marks a new chapter in our teams' ability to protect lives both domestically and abroad." UNOCHA representative Sarah Muscroft praised China's leadership, stating the teams' success "strengthens global disaster response networks."
The certification process involved 18 international evaluators from 14 countries observing 40+ hours of continuous earthquake rescue simulations. Observers included experts from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's rescue team and national fire response units.
Since their establishment in 2001 and 2018 respectively, these teams have now passed four and two INSARAG certifications. They join an elite group of 33 globally recognized heavy USAR units, enhancing Asia's capacity to address natural disasters through standardized emergency protocols.
