BEIRUT, May 18 (Xinhua) — The Lebanese Civil Defense on Thursday received two emergency rescue robots donated by China, the Chinese embassy in Lebanon said in a statement.
The robots, donated by the Shenyang Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIACAS), were handed over to the Lebanese Civil Defense at a ceremony held at the American University of Beirut (AUB).
“Putting these two robots into service will enhance the capabilities of civil defense, especially in reconnaissance in dangerous places and sampling and disposal of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials,” said Raymond Khattar, director general of the Civil Defense of Lebanon.
Khattar said it is not the first time that China has affirmed its friendship with Lebanon and its people, especially by supporting the Civil Defense by offering a generous financial donation following the catastrophic explosions at the Beirut port on Aug. 4, 2020.
Liu Lianqing, deputy director of SIACAS, called the two robots “fruits” of his institute’s close cooperation with the AUB and Lebanon’s Civil Defense since 2017.
He said his institute is looking forward to deepening cooperation with Lebanese partners to establish a Joint Chinese-Arab laboratory and contribute more to the progress of science and technology.
Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Qian Minjian said that the China-Arab scientific and technological cooperation, which is complementary and has broad prospects, will give an important push to the joint Belt and Road construction by China and Arab states.
“I look forward to the completion of the joint China-Arab laboratory as soon as possible and promoting more achievements of the scientific and technological cooperation between China and Lebanon on the ground,” Qian said.
Wang Zhenyu, vice director of the Bureau of International Cooperation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the Shenyang Institute of Automation, in cooperation with Lebanon’s Civil Defense and the AUB, initiated joint research to develop an intelligent robot system in 2017 and has achieved significant progress in this regard.
“The project aims to improve the level of research and development of both parties in the field of emergency rescue robots through the use of intelligent robot systems for emergency search and rescue to analyze field conditions,” he said.
Wang Rongfang, the first-level counsel of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, said she expected to see more results from the scientific and technological cooperation between China and Lebanon.
“The Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and Technology will continue to support the scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries, and it is willing to work with the Lebanese side to build a platform for mutual benefit and achieve a win-win partnership which would make scientific contributions to building a China-Arab community with a shared future,” she said.
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