By Teng Huaijin and Zhou Na
BEIJING, Dec. 3 — According to the Medical Service Bureau of the Logistic Support Department under China’s Central Military Commission (CMC), the Chinese military will send an 84-member health service team to participate in the “Peace Rescue 2021” joint medical exercise with their Vietnamese counterparts in Mong Cai city, Quang Ninh province of Vietnam from December 6 to 12.
This is the first time for the Chinese and Vietnamese armed forces to organize an exercise of this kind, and also the first time that the Chinese military dispatches an organic health service unit to participate in joint medical exercise overseas since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This joint exercise is also a practical action to further deepen cooperation and exchange between the two sides after the free joint medical service in border areas in 2018.
The “Peace Rescue 2021” joint medical exercise will be based on the scenario of the mass wounded combining the outbreak of infectious disease after an earthquake in a country. The participants will conduct training on joint command, on-site rescue, pandemic control, etc., aiming to share experience and improve both sides’ capabilities of joint operation, emergency responding and coordination.
The Chinese participating troops come from the units assigned to the 920th Hospital of Guilin Joint Logistic Support Center, most of whom are experienced in major training missions, United Nations peacekeeping operations, and other medical support tasks. The Vietnamese participating troops are mainly from the Vietnamese People’s Army Traditional Medical College, Military Medical College, General Hospital of the 108th Army, and Third Military Region.
The Chinese side will bring new-generation field tent hospital system, field emergency vehicles, health service vehicles, and other sanitary equipment to set up a level-two hospital on the site and systematically display the PLA’s recent development in anti-pandemic fight and field first aid.
