- Title: CHINA: US AIR FORCE HOLDS JOINT CIVIL RESCUE EXERCISE WITH CHINA
- Date: 1st December 1999
- Summary: HONG KONG, CHINA (DECEMBER 1, 1999) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV:PAN FROM MEDIA TO HONG KONG PATROL BOATS IN BAY 0.14 2. SV: PATROL BOAT IN BAY 0.20 3. WIDE OF BAY NEAR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 0.26 4. SLV: SMOKE COMING FROM THE MOUNTAINSIDE NEAR BAY 0.31 5. AERIAL: HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FLYING SERVICE HELICOPTER 0.42 6. SLV:
- Embargoed: 16th December 1999 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA
- Country: China
- Reuters ID: LVA9SC783WM9QQV1WDT9F317VOYG
- Story Text: The United States air force has held a joint civil
rescue exercise with China - the first military exchange
between the two sides since the bombing of the Chinese embassy
in Belgrade.
Two U.S.helicopters and their crews flew to Hong Kong
on Wednesday (December 1) for a joint search and rescue
exercise with their Chinese counterparts.
The exercise, which was watched by more than 200 civil
rescue experts from the region, comes about a week before two
U.S.warships make a port call in Hong Kong.
China, which oversees foreign and defence matters for the
former British colony, had blocked the entry of U.S.military
ships and flights to Hong Kong after the U.S.-led NATO force
bombed Beijing's Belgrade embassy in May.
Wednesday's exercise simulates a civilian helicopter
"crash landing" in a hilly area near the airport at Chek Lap
Kok.
Making an aerial search over hill peaks where the
"distressed aircraft" was supposed to have landed, a PLA Z-9
helicopter spotted the aircraft after a "survivor" fired
bright orange flares.
Within minutes a USAF HH-60 helicopter arrived at the
scene, hovered over briefly and winched a dummy to safety.
Two other human "survivors", who were supposed to have
ejected themselves into a nearby river, were pulled to safety
by a Hong Kong Government Flying Service helicopter and
another USAF HH-60.
Wednesday's exercise is the second in Hong Kong involving
both the PLA and U.S.forces.The first was in 1998.
A spokeswoman for the U.S.Consulate General in Hong Kong
said the two helicopters were brought in from airbases in
Alaska and Japan.
Beijing suspended military contacts after one of its
embassies was hit by a bomb during NATO's air campaign against
Yugoslavia.
The U.S.apologised and said the attack was a mistake
caused by intelligience blunders.
China rejected the explanation, and the incident sparked
violent anti-U.S.demonstrations in China.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None