China has made history as the first Asian country to have two United Nations-certified heavy urban search and rescue teams. The China Search and Rescue Team and the China International Search and Rescue Team have successfully passed the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Reclassification.
The certification ceremony was held in Beijing on Thursday, attended by Xu Jia’ai, Vice Minister of Emergency Management, and Sarah Muscroft, representative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
Established in 1991 under UNOCHA, INSARAG is a global network focused on coordinating international urban search and rescue operations for disasters like earthquakes. Passing the reclassification means China’s teams meet the highest international standards, enabling them to conduct rescue operations both domestically and globally.
“China has always placed great importance on international humanitarian rescue efforts,” Xu Jia’ai stated at the ceremony. “We hope our teams will continue to enhance their readiness and capabilities, becoming elite forces that can efficiently respond to emergencies at home and abroad.”
Sarah Muscroft presented the certificates to both teams, congratulating them on their outstanding performance. “We greatly value the leadership role that China plays not just in the region but within the INSARAG network,” Muscroft told CGTN.
From May 27 to 28, the teams underwent a rigorous assessment organized by UNOCHA and INSARAG. Eighteen international evaluators from 14 countries oversaw more than 40 hours of high-intensity, continuous earthquake rescue drills. The evaluators unanimously agreed that both Chinese teams met the reclassification standards.
Over 60 international rescue experts, along with national comprehensive fire and rescue teams, the rescue team of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and social emergency forces, observed the reclassification process.
To date, only 33 rescue teams worldwide have achieved the INSARAG Heavy USAR classification. The China Search and Rescue Team, established in August 2018, has now passed the classification twice. The China International Search and Rescue Team, founded in April 2001, has passed four times.
This milestone highlights China’s commitment to international humanitarian aid and its growing role in global disaster response efforts.
