China's Red Cross approves 21 rescue teams

BEIJING - The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) on Friday entitled 21 emergency rescue teams to operate under its name.

At a ceremony in Beijing, the RCSC leaders presented flags bearing the Red Cross logo to representatives from the 21 rescue teams, which are mainly sponsored by government and various social groups.

The teams were categorized into eight types according to their specialty and rescue experiences covering healthcare, emergency search and rescue, water supply and communication.

Some of the teams have cooperated many times with the RCSC in disaster relief, according to the society. The beijing-based Blue Sky, for instance, greatly supported the RCSC's rescue work in the "5.12" Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 and Lushan quake in April this year.

As of February, 2012, local RCSC branches across China had established 684 emergency rescue teams composed of more than 21,000 people, most of whom are volunteers, according to the RCSC.