SHANGHAI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China launched Wednesday morning an
anti-terrorist exercise at Shanghai's Yangshan Port, involving both public
security and civil departments in a test of their response to a terrorist
attack.
The exercise, "China 2007 security program at a port facility", began at 10
a.m. at the port.
The exercise, based on terrorist attack scenarios, focused on the city's
emergency response and its capacity to mobilize anti-terrorism forces.
According to the scenarios, a gang of five terrorists hide in shipping
containers at the port, in preparation for an attack on the port.
As soon as the simulated attack by the "terrorists" began, a local
headquarters was set up to muster and dispatch emergency forces, a pattern which
is expected to serve as a model for Chinese cities in future anti-terrorist
work.
The "terrorists" were soon captured by police officers and the bomb they
installed on a ship was demolished successfully, at the end of the exercise.
Peng Cuihong, an official who commanded the drill, said that the exercise
involved 200 police officers and 45 vehicles, 13 ships and two helicopters.
According to Peng, China now has 1,400 ports, of which 132 are opened to
the world. The exercise was a means of testing emergency security systems of
Chinese ports in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.