Xi chairs top-level meeting on flood control

President and general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Xi Jinping, chaired a Politburo meeting on Tuesday on flood control and drought relief. According to Xinhua News Agency, the meeting called for measures to strengthen flood control on major rivers and lakes, and highlighted the need to attach great importance to the risk of drought-flood abrupt alternation and strengthen the unified management and dispatching of water sources. The meeting also underscored the need to ensure the safety of key infrastructure and ongoing construction projects during the flood season, and to step up protection of agricultural infrastructure. Emergency rescue and disaster relief must be swift and efficient, and preparations of emergency response forces, equipment and supplies must be stepped up, the meeting noted. China is expected to see more extreme weather and climate events than usual in its main flood season this year, with droughts and floods occurring at the same time. As a result, all regions and relevant departments are urged to take solid measures to ensure effective flood control, drought relief, emergency response and disaster mitigation. Edited by Edmond Fong