"With economic globalization, maritime vessels have become larger and faster," ministry spokesman Wu Chungeng said. "More hazardous cargo is transported by sea, including crude oil and gas, which increases the risk of a major oil slick."

On Jan 6, the Panama-registered, Iranian-owned oil tanker Sanchi, carrying 111,300 tons of highly flammable condensate oil, collided with the CR Crystal, a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship, in the East China Sea about 296 kilometers east of Shanghai. The tanker exploded and sank on Jan 14, killing 32 crew members. The cargo ship's 21 crew members were rescued. The sinking of the oil tanker caused an oil slick, with cleanup work carried out to reduce the environmental impact.

China's maritime search and rescue system involves inter-ministry conferences in the event of a search and rescue or oil leak emergency, with the response on the water mainly dependent on professional search and rescue teams, government personnel and the military, He Jianzhong, director of the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center, said in March. 

China carried out 2,063 maritime search and rescue operations last year, he said, rescuing 1,462 vessels and 15,046 people in distress.

Cheng Ping, director of transportation safety at the ministry, said China's professional search and rescue teams have rescued 75,543 people and 5,108 distressed vessels in the past 67 years.

Drowning sailors are saved by a rescue ship during the oil slick emergency response drill. [Photo by Shen Lei/For China Daily]