The maritime safety authorities made the announcement yesterday.

The country will open its first airport, specialized for rescue operations, by the end of this year, to render emergency aid to those in imminent danger in marine areas, said Zhao Lu, of the Rescue and Salvage Bureau under the Ministry of Communications.

Two state-of-the-art helicopters, manufactured in the United States for US$18 million, will join the country's marine search and rescue networks by December, Zhao, a division director of the bureau, said.

Currently, the country's rescue operations are largely conducted by ships, which have proven inadequate for providing timely rescue to serious marine accidents, Zhao said.

The bureau has considered increasing the number of airports and advanced aircraft for rescue purposes along the country's coastal lines, to improve the efficiency of the marine rescue operations, she said.

Armed with leading-edge technology, the country's civilian marine search and rescue efforts will collaborate with corresponding endeavours of the army, according to Liu Shi, vice-director of the Maritime Safety Administration.

Amid ever-increasing water traffic, the country's marine search and rescue centers should "make waterways safer and the ocean cleaner'' by improving their response and co-ordinative capabilities, Liu told a three-day national marine safety meeting, which ended yesterday in Nanjing.

In the past five years, the country has conducted 2,925 marine search-and-rescue operations in marine waters and the Yangtze River, helping 25,146 people escape danger, according to the latest statistics from Liu's agency.

Liu said the country's efforts to highlight marine safety last year have paid off, as rescue staff helped 7,422 people survive dangerous accidents in the last year, achieving a success rate of 93 per cent.

Last year, the agency opened a digital selective calling (DSC) system and a marine alarm telephone number (12395), making it convenient for those in dire need for help, Liu said.

The quick response system is also important in curbing oil-spill pollution in marine areas, Liu said.

At least 50 oil leak accidents take place in China annually, according to the Ministry of Communications.

(China Daily 03/29/2001)