China has attained prestigious international validation for its urban search and rescue capabilities after successfully completing the rigorous accreditation process administered by the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), a United Nations-coordinated global network. The Ministry of Emergency Management announced this milestone achievement on Tuesday, confirming China’s position as only the tenth nation worldwide to pass the International Recognition of National Accreditation Process.
This certification signifies that China’s urban search-and-rescue system has reached internationally advanced standards, with its operational capabilities earning broad recognition from the global emergency response community. As a result of this accreditation, China now receives official authorization from INSARAG to conduct domestic assessments of rescue teams and award INSARAG certification badges to those meeting international benchmarks.
The comprehensive evaluation exercise took place earlier this month at China’s National Earthquake Emergency Rescue Training Base in Beijing. Under the leadership of the China Earthquake Emergency Search and Rescue Center, the drill assembled over 160 personnel from multiple organizations including the Beijing Fire and Rescue Corps, the National Emergency Medical Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team, and Beijing Language and Culture University.
The accreditation process featured an intensive 30-hour continuous field operation simulating realistic earthquake scenarios. The exercise demonstrated highly efficient and well-coordinated rescue capabilities under demanding conditions. A distinguished evaluation panel consisting of 10 international technical experts from INSARAG alongside 10 Chinese assessment experts employed a dual-standard review system combining both international and domestic criteria to ensure the professionalism and authority of the accreditation process.