Key facts
- President Xi Jinping called for improved disaster prevention, mitigation, and response.
- His remarks were published in Qiushi, a Communist Party journal.
- China has experienced deadly floods and landslides this summer.
- Xi cited global warming and El Niño as contributing factors to extreme weather.
- He urged investment in monitoring, early warning systems, and infrastructure.
- The use of technologies like AI and drones in rescue efforts was encouraged.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for enhanced capabilities in preventing, mitigating, and responding to natural disasters, following a series of deadly floods and landslides that have struck the country this summer. The remarks, published in the Communist Party journal Qiushi, underscore the growing impact of extreme weather events, which scientists link to climate change and the El Niño pattern.
Xi emphasized the need to shift focus towards pre-disaster prevention, strengthen monitoring and early-warning systems, and address infrastructure gaps in flood control and drainage, particularly in northern China. He noted that global warming is significantly increasing the frequency and destructive impact of extreme weather events such as torrential rains, floods, typhoons, and droughts.
Recent incidents include landslides in Gansu province that killed 25 people and another in Chongqing that resulted in 51 deaths. China's capital, Beijing, also experienced intense rain from the year's strongest typhoon, causing widespread flooding. Xi stated that disaster risks must not be allowed to compromise economic, energy, food, or social security, and encouraged the use of technologies like artificial intelligence, drones, and satellite remote sensing in rescue operations.