Chinese vice premier urges efforts to prevent risks of flood, drought disasters

BEIJING, April 27 -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing on Monday urged rigorous efforts to prevent and defuse the risks of floods and drought, stressing the need to safeguard people's lives and property and maintain overall social stability.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a national video conference on flood control and drought relief work held in Beijing.

It is necessary to strengthen risk control at the source and the inspections and rectifications of hidden dangers, and improve the capabilities of early warning and response, he said.

The vice premier stressed the importance of timely relocation of individuals at risk and utmost efforts to prevent mass casualties. Zhang also called for enhancing the infrastructure resilience against disasters and the primary-level emergency response capacity.

Meanwhile, the vice premier called for coordinating prevention and relief work for typhoons and droughts, and preparing emergency rescue forces, materials and equipment in advance.