Reunion of Air Rescue Crew Held to Mark the 20th Anniversary of Cooperation
A retrospective commemoration marking the 20th anniversary of the cooperation on air rescue between the mainland and Hong Kong was held in Dalian Airport Hotel on November 22 , when 17 people involved throughout the partnership gathered again to look back how the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government Flying Service (HKGFS) helped China Rescue and Salvage (CRS) of the Ministry of Transport (MOT) set up its flying service for air sea rescue two decades ago. The event was organized by China Diving and Salvage Association (CDSA) and hosted by Dalian Maritime University with support from Dalian Municipal Government, Dalian Foreign Affairs (Hong Kong and Macao Affairs) Office, CAAC Northeast Regional Administration and Liaoning Maritime Safety Administration.
According to CDSA president Song Jiahui, China began to feel the urgent need of all-weather sea air rescue force after the deadly shipwreck of Dashun ferry in Yantai Sea area on November 24, 1999. The need became severely intensified in the next four years, during which another five shipwrecking of ro-ro passenger ferries that caused huge losses happened in the Bohai Bay. Under the direction and guidance of the central government, the Ministry of Transport and government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region reached the first 5-year cooperation agreement that send the first seven flight crews from GFS to Dalian on November 21, 2003 .
Mr. Song mentioned that, at the Symposium for Hong Kong and Macao Compatriots Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Reform and Opening-up held on November 12, 2018, president Xi Jinping pointed out that the first flying service team in the mainland was set up with the direct hands-on help of the HKGF. He quoted the forward president Xi Jinping wrote to the Revitalization Library, that“history is the best textbook. we will move forward, but we shall never forget what we have experienced. no matter how far we will have gone towards a bright future, we should not forget the past.”
“Compatriots of HKGFS has played a significant role not only contributing to the creation and development of air sea rescue in the mainland, but also promoting the development of general aviation and police aviation as well as the introduction of advanced helicopters and equipment and technology,”said Mr. Song, calling young people from the mainland and Hong Kong to inherit the historical connection and tradition to strive together for the rejuvenation of Chinese nation.
Tang Kai, deputy Secretary-General of Dalian Municipal People's Government, said that Dalian, as the site of this important historical event, has witnessed the compatriot devotion Hong Kong offered to support the mainland. “The Hong Kong GFS has left the people of Dalian with a noble humanitarian spirit and is acknowledged as the ‘Bauhinia Eagle’ over the Bohai Sea,” he added.
The flying service of MOT has started from nothing and achieved steady development to form an air rescue system that covers the major waters along China’s coastal areas. It now has a fleet of 20 aircrafts that are deployed into four flying service teams posted in eight flying bases along the coastal areas in China. Over the past two decades, the flying service has completed over 5,400 rescue missions with more than 5,500 people saved out of danger and distress.
With cooperation framework agreement signed 20 years ago, the HKGFS began to help MOT set up the first flying service team in the mainland, which served remarkable contribution to the development of the country’s air sea rescue capacity, safeguard of people’s life and wealth and interaction and integration between the mainland and Hong Kong. “The HKGFS has clearly demonstrated their commitment as patriotic compatriots who aspire to serve the country with utmost determination and expertise,” said Xu Minqiang, party secretary of Dalian Maritime University. “The deployment of two teams of crew of HKGFS for the winter on-call duty in Bohai Sea 20 years ago unveiled a new chapter of the development of China’s air sea rescue, and more importantly, manifested the heartfelt link that dwells in our blood,” added Li Xinbiao, director of Liaoning Maritime Safety Administration.
According to Dai Lianhai, Deputy Director of CAAC Northeast Regional Administration, the development of the country’s air rescue was maintained on the right track thanks to the consistent cooperation between the flying services in the mainland and Hong Kong. “It is the unselfish support from Hong Kong compatriots that enabled the mainland’s flying services to build the life-saving airways for people trapped in danger on the sea,” Dai said.
Captain Michael Chan, former Controller of the GFS, recalled particularly the work experiences in 2003 and 2008 when he joined the winter on-call duty in Bohai Sea and emergency rescue for Wenchuan earthquake respectively. As one of the HKGFS crew involved throughout the cooperation, he has observed the overall development of the flying service in the mainland and is optimistic about its future. “I visited the flying service of MOT last month and was impressed to meet young, skillful and aspiring young people who have grasped the capability for self correction, perfection and sustainable development,” said Chan. “With intensified systematic training adapted to the varied natural geographic and weather conditions across the country, supported by advanced aviation equipment and maintenance, China’s air rescue will establish its leading position in the world.”
It has been 20 years since the seven people of GFS flew directly to Dalian to join the winter on-call duty. This is the first time in China’s history that civil servants from Hong Kong teamed up with their compatriot counterparts in the mainland to carry out air rescue. “It is a great honour to be a part of the mission that somehow shows the country’s acknowledgement of Hong Kong’s capacity and commitment,” said Cao Zhaoming, former Air Crewman Officer of GFS. “We are all proud and grateful to be involved in the cause to serve the public.”
Looking back the time he spent in Dalian working and training the mainland compatriots, former Senior Pilot Wang Junbang humbled that the exchange and training cooperation was made possible only because using helicopter for air rescue was adopted a bit earlier in Hong Kong than in the mainland. “I believe that the flying service in the mainland would do the same to help Hong Kong if vice versa,” he said.
Kwok Jing-keung, former Director of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department and founding president of China Hong Kong Fire Protection Association recalled some of the past events in which he and Song Jiahui, the then Director of the China Rescue and Salvage of the MOT, were planning to promote maritime rescue co-operation and professional exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong. He spoke highly about the key role Song functioned in devising the mutual exchange and cooperation to serve the overarching mission of saving lives, calling further enhancement of rescue operation by drawing history to jointly carry forward the cause.
Other participants present at the event included former Deputy Director of China Rescue and Salvage of MOT Pan Wei, former Director of Beihai Rescue Bureau, former Chief Pilot of the Beihai first Flying Service Team Song Xiupu, former Chief Pilot of the Donghai Second Flying Service Team Zhao Lu, Deputy Director of the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration Du Haipeng, former Deputy Secretary of Hainan Maritime Safety Administration Zhang Peng, former Director of the Aviation Team of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality Yang Dongfeng, General Manager of CITIC Offshore Helicopter Company Wang Peng and former Deputy General Manager of AVIC International Holding Corporation Zhang Heran.
A series of activities were also held along the commemorative event, including a small ceremony held in the afternoon of November 21 when Song Jiahui and some other people who co-authored a memoir about the exchange and cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong donated the book to Dalian Maritime University. The participants also visited the old hangar, hotel and ROV research center at the university and held discussion meeting with Liaoning Maritime Safety Administration respectively.