Q: According to reports, a Panama-registered oil tanker and a Hong Kong bulk cargo ship collided in the East China Sea. Do you have more information? What has China done in response to that?

A: According to our information, on the night of January 6, 2018, a Panama-registered oil tanker collided with a Hong Kong bulk cargo ship 160 nautical miles east of the Yangtze Estuary. After the collision, the oil tanker caught fire and the bulk freighter sustained damage.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to this and has sent several vessels to assist in the search and rescue efforts. So far some of the crew members have been rescued while the rest remains missing. In the meanwhile, China has dispatched specialized cleaning vessels to the scene to prevent secondary disasters. Now the cause of the accident is still under investigation.