MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday held a joint maritime drill with the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) on search and rescue operations and firefighting in the waters off Manila. The drill is meant to strengthen understanding, mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries in promoting maritime security and law enforcement in the West Philippine Sea, PCG spokesman Capt. “The activity has allowed PCG and CCG to exercise interoperability and strengthen their capabilities in responding to such crisis,” he said. In yesterday’s drill, the PCG simulated receiving a distress report on a cargo vessel that caught fire, then coordinated the rescue through a hotline between the two coast guards. Garcia welcomed his Chinese counterpart, Maj. Gen. Wang Zhongcai, who arrived in the country on Tuesday morning.

Source: Philippine Star January 15, 2020 16:00 UTC