BEIJING, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- China and Laos will hold a joint humanitarian medical rescue exercise in Laos this September, which is part of bilateral efforts to boost disaster relief capacity, a Chinese defense ministry spokesperson said Friday.
The exercise, which marks the sixth iteration of the "Peace Train" series, will simulate an international humanitarian medical response to a super typhoon disaster, focusing on joint on-site search and rescue, casualty evacuation, health and epidemic prevention, and psychological rescue, Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, told a media briefing.
As of Sept. 1 this year, 24 typhoons had formed over the northwestern Pacific and the South China Sea, 10.4 more than the historical average for the same period.
First held in 2017, the "Peace Train" series is a flagship project under the China-Laos military health cooperation framework, with previous exercises covering disaster scenarios such as floods, mudslides and earthquakes.
During the 2026 event, the Chinese side will also offer medical services for Lao military personnel and civilians, Jiang added.
The exercise, Jiang said, will deepen and expand practical cooperation in disaster medical rescue, tropical disease control and epidemic prevention, and "better provide quality public security goods for regional countries and peoples."
It is part of China's expanding efforts to boost cooperation with neighboring countries to better cope with natural disasters.
After a severe mudslide struck the Gyirong-Rasuwa border crossing between China and Nepal last week, China has provided meteorological support, including weather monitoring, forecasting, early warning and impact services, for Nepal's rescue and relief.
The country is also providing Nepal with daily updates on the development of a barrier lake above the Gyirong Port, cascading risks associated with the Cuojian River impact crater in Nepal, glacial lake risks in the Gyirong Zangbo River basin, the development and risk forecasts of new barrier lakes, and emergency hydrological monitoring. ■
