China launched Wednesday morning an anti-terrorist exercise at Shanghai's Yangshan Port, involving both public security and civil departments in a test of their response to a terrorist attack.

The exercise, "China 2007 security program at a port facility", began at 10 AM at the port.

The exercise, based on terrorist attack scenarios, focused on the city's emergency response and its capacity to mobilize anti-terrorism forces.

According to the scenarios, a gang of five terrorists hide in shipping containers at the port, in preparation for an attack on the port.

As soon as the simulated attack by the "terrorists" began, a local headquarters was set up to muster and dispatch emergency forces, a pattern which is expected to serve as a model for Chinese cities in future anti-terrorist work.

The "terrorists" were soon captured by police officers and the bomb they installed on a ship was demolished successfully, at the end of the exercise.

Peng Cuihong, an official who commanded the drill, said that the exercise involved 200 police officers and 45 vehicles, 13 ships and two helicopters.

According to Peng, China now has 1,400 ports, of which 132 are opened to the world. The exercise was a means of testing emergency security systems of Chinese ports in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

(China Daily November 2, 2007)