Emergency flying force to the rescue

Rescue workers ride motorcycles off a Z-8L helicopter during a rescue drill held in Lijiang, Yunnan province, on May 16. [Photo by Li Yanxuan/For China Daily]

China's domestically produced aircraft playing crucial role in response efforts to natural disasters

Editor's note: The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China set out a blueprint for China's path to modernization, with the aim of guiding the development of all walks of life in the new era and contributing positively to global progress. Through the year, China Daily will run a series of picture stories that highlight important way points on this journey. In this seventh installment, we focus on air rescue.

With its vast territory and complex terrain, China experiences frequent natural disasters, causing significant loss of lives and property. Air rescue — which can provide quick responses and has a wide range of capabilities and versatile applications — is essential for fighting and minimizing the impact of natural disasters.

In recent years, China has made significant progress in developing its emergency air rescue capabilities, with a variety of locally produced aircraft leading the way.

Aircraft such as the Y-20 strategic transport plane, the AG600 large amphibious plane, the AC313 helicopter, and the Wing Loong series of unmanned aircraft have become indispensable assets in China's aviation emergency rescue system.

Over the past decade, the country's number of rescue helicopters has increased from 178 to over 1,000, while fixed-wing aircraft have grown from 1,000 to 3,186. The number of general airports has risen from 146 to 399.

Additionally, China has established high-level emergency rescue teams and a mechanism for emergency air rescue led by the government, with the participation of both military and civilian forces.

In the new era, China has attached great importance to responding to natural disasters and improving emergency rescue capabilities. The building of the national emergency rescue system has played an important role in modernizing the national security system and making China safer.

An AG600M amphibious aircraft tests its water-collection function in Jingmen, Hubei province, on Sept 25 last year. [Photo by Yue Shuhua/For China Daily]

Rescue workers and a sniffer dog board a Z-8A helicopter for a rescue drill in Yunnan province, on May 16. [Photo by Yue Shuhua/For China Daily]

Firefighters prepare for a cable drop from an AC311 helicopter in Jiangxi province. [Photo by Yue Shuhua/For China Daily]

A helicopter lands at an airport after finishing a rescue mission in Hebei province. [Photo by Tao Ran/For China Daily]

A pilot checks the status of a search and rescue helicopter before taking off during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing on March 1 last year. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

Rescuers practice a cable drop from a helicopter to retrieve injured during the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

Supplies are loaded by rescuers onto a helicopter for delivery to Zhuozhou, Hebei province, which was hit by heavy rain on Aug 3. [Photo by Tao Ran/For China Daily]

Rescue personnel practice transferring an injured athlete during a rescue drill for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games on March 3 last year. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

A Z-8A helicopter extinguishes a fire during a drill on May 16. [Photo by Yue Shuhua/For China Daily]