China carries out ‘largest’ military, civilian rescue drill in South China Sea

Chinese coastguard and military forces took part in a large land-air-sea emergency rescue exercise near the disputed Woody Island on Thursday, as Beijing continues to assert its claims in the South China Sea.

More than 200 personnel, 15 vessels and two rescue helicopters carried out what was described by the government and state media as “the largest rescue drill in recent years”.

Woody Island, called Yongxing Island by China, is part of the Paracel Islands, a contested archipelago known as the Xisha Islands in Chinese.

Thursday’s drills were co-hosted by the People’s Liberation Army, China Coast Guard and the city government of Sansha, established in 2012 to assert Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The 75-minute drill simulated multiple emergency scenarios based on recent accidents, state broadcaster CCTV said.