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Even though the number of deaths caused by shipping accidents fell by 20 percent last year, China still has a long way to go to improve its sea rescue capabilities, a senior transport official said.

Xu Zuyuan, vice-minister of communications and director of the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center, said at a press conference yesterday that 376 people died in shipping accidents and 250 ships sank off the coast of China last year, making it the country's best water transport safety record since 2001.

"Achieving this was not easy considering that we were hit by several ferocious typhoons last year and that the water transport industry has been expanding so rapidly," Xu said.

According to official statistics, the total throughput of the mainland ports increased by 15.4 percent last year, while the number of vessels calling at mainland ports increased by 34.8 percent.

Chinese maritime safety authorities organized 1,620 major rescue operations last year and saved 16,753 people, with a salvage rate of 95.7 percent.

Still, Xu admitted, China faced limitations that prevented the authorities from saving more lives and protecting the maritime environment.

"As a developing country, China has limited funding to buy equipment and has fallen behind in many aspects compared with developed seafaring countries," Xu said.

Among the shortcomings he listed were outdated rescue ships, a lack of equipment to fight oil slicks and the inability to operate effectively in stormy seas and over long distances.

Xu said the authorities had deployed 895 rescue ships and nine rescue helicopters along the coast and major rivers.

To strengthen China's rescue capabilities, the ministry will import two powerful EC-225 helicopters from Europe in the fourth quarter of this year.

Xu said the country's rapid economic development and the continued growth of foreign trade had resulted in a surge of marine activities.

Song Jiahui, the center's vice-director, said the country's sea rescue sector had been working with its foreign counterparts in recent years and had set up cooperation mechanisms with several foreign countries, including the United States.

On January 1, the US Coast Guard saved 18 Chinese fishermen near the island of Guam. During Typhoon Chanchu last year, China rescued 330 Vietnamese fishermen in the South China Sea.