CDSA Attends IMRF Global Maritime SAR System Review Regional Workshop - Asia Pacific Region

26-27 July, Kuala Lumpur-The China Diving and Salvage Association (CDSA) was invited to the IMRF Global Maritime SAR System Review Regional Workshop - Asia Pacific Region.

From 26 to 27 July 2026, Chen Liping, Vice President and Secretary General of CDSA, and Jessica Dong, Director of the International Cooperation and Maritime Affair Department of CDSA, attended the workshop held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This workshop marked the closing session of the series of regional consultations for the Global Maritime SAR System Review, gathering 15 delegates from 9 countries to conduct in-depth discussions on a wide range of maritime SAR topics.

On the first day of the event, Steven Wills, Consultant of IMRF, delivered a detailed presentation covering the background, core objectives, rationale, assessment methodologies and follow-up work plans of the Global Maritime SAR System Review project.

Group discussions dominated the agenda on the second day. Delegates exchanged insights on opportunities and challenges facing their respective organizations, internal and external factors affecting SAR system operation, prospective trends for the sector, and practical experience in developing training frameworks for maritime SAR personnel across different nations. A dedicated presentation session was arranged for participating organizations. Ms. Chen Liping and Ms. Jessica Dong comprehensively introduced CDSA’s institutional positioning, core resources, competitive strengths and long-term industry outlook, fully showcasing the achievements of the CDSA’s SAR capacity building.

During the two-day workshop, Ms. Chen Liping held separate meetings with Caroline Jupe, Chief Executive Officer of IMRF, and Jason Veerasingam, Director of Client Engagement - Asia-Pacific of IMCA. In both individual talks, the two sides exchanged views on long-term industry cooperation paths, discussed ways to deepen multi-field collaboration, and Ms. Chen formally extended invitations to both executives to attend the International Underwater Operations & Offshore Industry Expo and its concurrent international forum to be held in Qingdao from 6 to 8 November.

This workshop created a valuable face-to-face communication channel for CDSA to connect with maritime SAR authorities and industry specialists across the Asia-Pacific region, enabling CDSA to fully showcase its development achievements to global counterparts. Moving forward, CDSA will further strengthen regular technical exchanges with IMRF and other regional SAR organizations throughout the Asia-Pacific, draw on international advanced practices, and leverage its comprehensive industrial strengths to jointly boost the overall capacity for maritime and underwater emergency response and life-saving operations across the region.