China staged its largest-ever maritime rescue drill Friday to test its security and emergency services before next year's World Expo in Shanghai, AFP reported
Shanghai will host the biggest-ever World Expo for six months starting on May 1 at a site straddling the city's Huangpu River. More than 70 million visitors are expected for the event, with more than 190 countries taking part.
More than 1,000 personnel participated in Friday's exercise in the East China Sea, which involved 35 ships and three aircraft, the Xinhua news agency quoted senior maritime safety official He Yipei as saying.
The 90-minute exercise, which was organised by the transport ministry and eastern Zhejiang province, simulated a collision between a passenger ship and a cargo vessel, the report said.