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Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Zhou Xuewen, vice minister of emergency management

Song Yuanming, vice minister of emergency management

Qiong Se, member of the CPC Committee of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) and head of the Fire and Rescue Department of the MEM

Chairperson:

Chen Wenjun, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

Aug. 30, 2022

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Chen Wenjun:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Today, we are holding the 26th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade" to brief you on the reform and development of emergency management in the new era. Joining us today are Mr. Zhou Xuewen, vice minister of emergency management; Mr. Song Yuanming, vice minister of emergency management; and Mr. Qiong Se, a member of the CPC Committee of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) and head of the MEM's Fire and Rescue Department.

Now, let's give the floor to Mr. Zhou Xuewen for his introduction.

Zhou Xuewen:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the press, good morning. I am very pleased to meet you. First, on behalf of the MEM, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you for your interest in and support for the development in emergency management.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to emergency management, and General Secretary Xi Jinping has made a series of important remarks and major decisions in this regard. In particular, while deepening the reform of the Party and state institutions in 2018, the CPC Central Committee decided to establish the MEM and a national comprehensive fire and rescue team , leading to systematic and holistic reconstruction of as well as historic achievements and transformation in China's emergency management system. The following four achievements are especially remarkable:

First, an emergency management system with Chinese features has been basically established. We have upheld and strengthened the Party's overall leadership over emergency management, enhanced comprehensive and whole-process emergency management as well as optimized management of forces and resources, basically forming a versatile, responsive emergency management system with Chinese characteristics featuring unified command and coordination across different levels. We have given play to comprehensive strengths of emergency management departments and professional strengths of relevant departments, and strengthened the integration of centralized and decentralized management, coordination of prevention and rescue as well as cooperation across different levels. Various working mechanisms have been established to improve the effectiveness of emergency management, such as joint risk consultation and evaluation, integration of prevention, rescue and relief efforts, as well as streamlined and efficient emergency command. For example, from 2018 to 2021, the average annual number of people killed and missing in natural disasters across the country dropped by 51.6% from that of the previous five years, with the new systems and mechanisms playing an important role.

Second, capacity for comprehensive emergency management has been improved across the board. In accordance with the goals and requirements of unified leadership, power being commensurate with responsibility, and remaining authoritative and efficient, we have comprehensively enhanced the emergency response capacity in such areas as emergency teams, command platforms, material support and information technology assistance. The national comprehensive fire and rescue team has accelerated its transformation and upgrading to respond to all kinds of disasters and to coordinate various emergency forces and resources. It has created more than 3,500 new professional teams to fight diverse disasters including earthquakes as well as water and mountain-related disasters, developed and equipped themselves with advanced technologies and equipment, and enhanced their modern and comprehensive rescue capacities. By actively promoting the construction of an emergency command system, we have basically established the national emergency command headquarters, and fully built an emergency command information network covering the four levels of ministry, province, city and county as well as the top-down emergency command platform system. As a result, direct command and dispatch via video link on the spot is now possible whenever a major disaster or emergency occurs. We have continued to modernize emergency management through information technology, built emergency resource management platforms, and comprehensively monitored coal mines, hazardous chemicals and other major sources of danger through the internet, accelerating the efforts to boost the role of big data in ensuring safety.

Third, prevention and control of major safety risks has been effectively intensified. We have devoted time and energy in ordinary times and enhanced checks and inspections closer to the sources to root out potential incidents. In terms of disaster prevention, reduction and relief, we have implemented nine key projects for natural disaster prevention and control in a coordinated manner. For example , we have organized the first national comprehensive survey of natural disaster risks, implemented a project to reinforce housing in earthquake-prone areas, and built and renovated a number of forest firebreaks, isolation zones, landing fields and reservoirs, enhancing the disaster prevention and control capacity. In response to the challenges brought by the increasing number of more extreme weather disasters, we have considered the worst-case scenarios, strengthened the coordination between early warning and emergency response, and established a "call and response" early warning mechanism that can reach those in charge at the primary level. By doing so, we can evacuate people under threat in advance, and at the same time guide the public to prepare for disaster prevention and risk aversion. In terms of workplace safety, we have held fast to the safety redline and established a long-term mechanism for regular and strict management. We have issued regulations on workplace safety accountability for local Party and government leaders, formulated and implemented 15 tough measures for workplace safety, and improved the oversight mechanism for new business forms and models. We have vigorously promoted reform of workplace safety law enforcement, and launched a special three-year campaign for workplace safety rectification and other special rectification campaigns in key industries and areas, so as to address both the symptoms and root causes, and fundamentally raise the safety level. 

Fourth, we have effectively dealt with a series of major disasters and accidents. We have always stayed ready as emergency personnel, and strengthened emergency preparedness in an all-round manner from emergency planning to force prepositioning and other aspects, so as to rush to the frontline at critical times. In the past, fire rescue teams were required to board vehicles in one minute and reach their destination in five minutes. Now, advance risk assessment and force prepositioning have not only increased the efficiency of the rescue work, but also made it more targeted and effective. In cases of serious and major disasters or accidents that are complicated and highly hazardous, heads of the MEM must go straight to the scene to guide the rescue efforts. Since its establishment, the MEM has organized 997 emergency consultations, launched 330 emergency responses and dispatched 414 emergency working groups. Through these efforts, we have effectively addressed a series of severe and major disasters and accidents, including barrier lakes in the Jinsha River and the Yarlung Zangbo River, severe floods that hit the Yangtze River region in 2020 , earthquakes  that struck Yangbi Yi autonomous county of Yunnan province and Maduo county of Qinghai province, forest fires in Nyingchi of Tibet autonomous region, a chemical plant explosion in Xiangshui county of Jiangsu province, a hotel collapse in Quanzhou city of Fujian province, the Hushan gold mine explosion in Qixia city of Shandong province, and the collapse of a self-built residential building in Changsha city of Hunan province. These efforts have minimized the loss of life and property.

Over the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, emergency management has seen remarkable achievements. Workplace accidents and their deaths in 2021 decreased by 56.8% and 45.9% from 2012, and annual accidents have declined for 10 years in a row. From 2013 to 2021, the annual average deaths and missing people, collapsing houses, and the proportion of direct economic losses in GDP from natural disasters fell 87.2%, 87.4%, and 61.7%, respectively, from the 2000-2012 level.

However, we know clearly that emergency management still faces a long and arduous journey ahead. Natural disasters are still frequent, and some are serious; difficulties in ensuring workplace safety are hard to overcome; risks and hidden dangers are various. In the future, the emergency management system will unite more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and put the people and their lives first. We will continue to push ahead with reforms, prevent and control major risks to the best of our ability, and modernize the emergency management system and capacity at a faster pace, all in a bid to create a safe environment for China's journey toward building a modern socialist country in all respects and set the stage for the 20th National Congress of the CPC with concrete actions.

Now, my colleagues and I would like to take your questions. Thank you.

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Chen Wenjun:

Thank you, Mr. Zhou. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before raising questions. 

CCTV:

In 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping instructed that in addressing natural disasters, prevention should come first and be complete with disaster resistance and relief, routine disaster mitigation should work well with disaster relief in abnormal cases, and three shifts must be achieved from prioritizing disaster relief to disaster prevention, from responding to different kinds of disasters separately to comprehensively mitigating disasters, and from reducing disaster losses to lowering disaster risks. These instructions have provided the fundamental principles for disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief. How have the instructions been implemented? What results have been achieved? 

Zhou Xuewen:

Thank you for your questions. General Secretary Xi Jinping made the instructions when he inspected Tangshan city, Hebei province, in July 2016, clarifying the direction and fundamental principles for disaster prevention and mitigation. The emergency management system has carried out an in-depth study of the instructions and firmly implemented them. The results are obvious: Disaster is now being forestalled at an earlier stage; the foundation for disaster mitigation is more solid; the mechanisms for disaster relief are more responsive. Specifically, there are three "new". 

First, we have established new mechanisms to integrate disaster prevention, resistance, and relief. We have further reformed the mechanisms for disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief, clarified the prevention and relief responsibilities among relevant departments, and worked hard to achieve the greatest synergy possible. We have set up mechanisms for the joint study of risks, disaster information access and sharing, unified command and scheduling, and disaster early warning among relevant departments. A flat emergency organization structure has been formed, in which officials lead on their post, people are stationed 24 hours a day for important positions, and the whole emergency management system remains highly responsive to safeguarding the lives and property of the people. 

Second, disaster prevention has reached a new level. We have carried out the first national survey on the comprehensive risks of natural disasters to learn about hidden risks and the state of prevention facilities, and accelerated efforts to address the deficiencies in disaster prevention and mitigation. A number of key initiatives have been launched, including ones to reinforce houses in earthquake-prone areas, improve water conservancy against floods and droughts, and relocate people at times of geological disasters. Our capacity to guard against natural disasters has improved remarkably. For example, the houses brought down by a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Menyuan county, Qinghai province, in 2022 was only 5% of those brought down by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that jolted the same area in 2016. The effects in housing reinforcement against earthquakes are obvious. 

Third, we have made new breakthroughs in our comprehensive support capacity. Investment in science and technology, materials, and equipment for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief has been gradually increased, and our support capacity has been notably strengthened. A total of six state-level regional emergency response and rescue centers have begun construction, forming a coordinated nationwide arrangement that can ensure rapid deployment for the needs of nearby areas. We have completed the task of increasing the storage of central emergency supplies worth nearly three billion yuan, further enhancing the capacity to respond to the peak demand in a major disaster. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) emergency response communication, large drainage vehicles, underwater robots and several other pieces of heavy equipment have been installed in succession, significantly improving the level of modern technical equipment.

According to our statistics, from 2018 to 2021, the country's annual average number of disaster-related deaths and missing people, the number of collapsed houses, and the annual average proportion of direct economic losses in GDP dropped by 51.6%, 73% and 44%, respectively, compared with the average during the five years ahead of reforms. Our system and mechanism reforms for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief have taken effect. Thank you.

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Southern Metropolis Daily:

In recent years, China's production safety has been kept stable and continued to become better. However, serious and major accidents sometimes occur, making people feel less secure. Under such circumstances, could you please provide the measures and arrangements that the MEM has taken to prevent serious and major workplace accidents? Thank you.

Song Yuanming:

As you mentioned, a serious accident usually involves 10 or more deaths, while a major accident refers to an accident leaving 30 or more people dead. A serious or major accident will surely weaken people's sense of security. Hence, it is a major task for the MEM to prevent such accidents, and we have constantly attached great importance to this major task. In the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the number of serious and major accidents dropped to 17 in 2021 from 59 in 2012, or 1.4 per month from five per month on average, registering a decrease of 71%. In particular, since the MEM was established in 2018, we have set a record for the longest duration without serious or major accidents since the founding of the PRC, which is 29 months. Since the beginning of this year, there have been five serious and major accidents up to now, dropping by seven or 58% compared with the same period of last year. We have made our continuous efforts mainly in the following four aspects.

The four aspects can be summarized as a red line, a responsibility system, a series of special campaigns, and a new capacity level.

First, we have made great efforts to publicize and safeguard "a red line." Early in June 2013, the general secretary clearly pointed out that "we can never pursue development at the cost of people's lives. This is a red line that cannot be overstepped." He also emphasized that the idea must be followed clearly, adamantly and resolutely. His instructions have become major standards for our efforts to coordinate development and safety. Over the past years, we have firmly held to this red line and adopted various methods to widely publicize the principle, leading to the formation of an environment focusing on workplace safety while pursuing development.  

Second, we have made great efforts to push ahead with establishing a responsibility system, which includes three aspects. The first focuses on local Party and government leadership's responsibility, ensuring that both Party committees and governments assume responsibility as required by the general secretary. For instance, the State Council has carried out a workplace safety assessment on provincial governments for six consecutive years, and implemented one-vote-veto practice for provinces where major accidents happened. The second focuses on the regulatory responsibility of government departments. This will ensure that the requirement of being responsible for both industrial development and workplace safety can be implemented. The third is the primary responsibility of enterprises. These three responsibilities have constituted a set of responsibility systems for workplace safety.

Third, we have taken decisive actions to implement a series of special campaigns to ensure workplace safety. We have carried out special campaigns to eliminate major potential dangers that easily lead to a large number of deaths and injuries. This is an effective method with Chinese characteristics that integrates administrative, economic, legal, sci-tech tools as well as industrial structure adjustments. For example, we have launched a three-year-long special campaign to treat hidden dangers in hazardous chemicals, mines, fire safety, traffic and transportation, fishing vessels, and industrial parks. Meanwhile, we have promptly studied and judged new risks that emerged from some new situations and business forms. We have promoted special actions regulating self-built houses for commercial purposes, gas, electric bicycles, electrochemical energy storage and offshore wind power, among other fields.

Fourth, we have made great efforts to improve our capacity and level of the rule of law in production safety. In the past decade, we have made amendments twice to the Law on Workplace Safety , promulgated the 11th amendment to the Criminal Law, and constantly adjusted and revised the Criteria for Determining Major Hidden Dangers in different industries to make the laws and regulations more stringent and precise. At the same time, we have also accelerated the reform of comprehensive administrative law enforcement for emergency management, and vigorously enhanced the authority and professionalism of workplace safety law enforcement teams. We have also strengthened law enforcement inspections, and stepped up efforts to crack down on violations. At the same time, we have established a reporting system, encouraged and rewarded whistleblowers, seriously investigated and handled accidents, and further enhanced the deterrence of workplace safety law enforcement.

Next, we will continue to focus on preventing major and severe accidents. We will coordinate economic development, epidemic prevention and control, and work safety, and take concrete actions to welcome the 20th CPC National Congress. Thank you.

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People's Daily:

Fire safety involves thousands of families and concerns everyone in all industries. What specific achievements have been made in fire control work to serve economic and social development and safeguard people's lives and property? Thank you.

Qiong Se:

Thank you for your question. Fire safety is an important part of social governance and emergency management. In the past decade, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, all localities and departments have conscientiously implemented the concept of safe development. They have insisted on putting the people and their lives first, actively promoted the modernization of the management system and capacity in fire safety, and played an essential role in preventing fires and reducing fire hazards, protecting citizens' lives and property, and maintaining public security. The main achievements are as follows:

First, the fire safety responsibility system has been continuously improved. Party committees and governments at all levels have followed the requirement that "both Party officials and government officials take responsibility, and each and every official is responsible for fire safety" as well as the requirement that "whoever is responsible for the management of industries, business, and production and operation must also assume responsibility for workplace safety," and acted quickly to research and resolve major issues concerning fire safety. Annual government fire safety work assessments have been launched. Meanwhile, with industry associations promoting standardized management and enterprises and public institutions establishing and improving their own independent management mechanisms, we have formed a new pattern of fire safety work on a society-wide basis.

Second, significant progress has been made in building a legal system for fire safety. We have implemented the strategic plan of comprehensively advancing the rule of law. The central government released the opinions on reform of fire control law enforcement. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has twice amended the fire safety law and conducted inspections on law enforcement. It has also promulgated 71 local laws, 152 government regulations and 10 sectoral regulations, and 524 national industry standards, providing legal support for fire safety work.

Third, remarkable results have been achieved in preventing and tackling fire risks. We focused on high-risk areas such as high-rise buildings, large commercial complexes, and petrochemical enterprises. We paid close attention to new types of businesses such as electrochemical energy storage, electric bicycles and after-school training, and conducted precise assessments, law enforcement and governance. National authorities have overseen more than 200 major and regional fire risks, and localities have supervised the rectification of over 85.22 million fire risks.

Fourth, firefighting and rescue capabilities have been greatly improved. The number of fire and rescue stations across the country increased from 5,256 to 7,969. The number of fire engines increased from 47,000 to 111,000, and the number of municipal fire extinguishers rose from 1.058 million to 2.018 million. Forest and aviation firefighting forces has covered 21 provinces. In particular, after establishing a national comprehensive fire and rescue team, the fire service has undertaken the responsibilities of firefighting and comprehensive rescue following the law, effectively responding to a series of major disasters and accidents.

Fifth, a society-wide fire safety foundation has been effectively consolidated. All cities, counties, and key towns across the country have formulated and implemented fire safety plans. Primary-level fire safety has been integrated into grid management. Social services concerning fire safety have flourished, and there has been extensive fire safety publicity. The public's awareness of fire safety has been significantly enhanced. There are now over 100,000 registered firefighting engineers and 1.4 million people with special firefighting skills. Moreover, 14,000 new fire stations have been set up in towns and subdistricts across the country.

With China's economic size having more than doubled and urban built-up areas having expanded by 30% during the past 10 years, we have maintained the general stability and improved the performance of firefighting, especially in the prevention and control of fires that cause casualties. According to statistical analysis, the number of fires with three to nine fatalities dropped from an average of 87.7 cases annually in the last decade to 71.1 cases in this decade, a decrease of 18.9%. The number of fires with more than nine fatalities decreased from 4.9 per year in the last decade to three, a drop of 38.8%.

All these achievements are attributed to the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as well as the joint efforts of the whole society. We will stay committed to coordinating development and security, taking prevention as a priority and combining prevention with fire rescue. We will continuously strengthen and improve fire prevention work, sparing no effort to protect people's lives and property so as to provide strong safeguards in terms of firefighting for achieving high-quality development. Thank you.

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Xinhua News Agency:

This year, many places across China have suffered from floods and droughts to varying degrees. What is the overall situation of flood control and drought relief and what are the next steps? Also, after the institutional reform, what changes have taken place in flood control and drought relief? What results have been achieved? Thank you.

Zhou Xuewen:

Thank you for your questions. This year we have seen an early start to the flood season, with many numbered floods (floods of a certain large scale), severe regional disasters, and prolonged high temperatures and droughts. The flood and drought disasters can mainly be characterized by four aspects:

First, north and south China have seen more rainfall than the central region. The average precipitation nationwide is slightly lower than in previous years, but the rainfall in most of the north as well as south China has increased by 10%-100% compared with the same period in ordinary years, and the Yangtze River Basin, as well as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region have experienced 10%-50% less precipitation.

Second, there have been many numbered large-scale river floods in China. A total of 586 rivers across China experienced floods that exceeded warning water levels. A total of 10 numbered large-scale floods hit China's major rivers. As you may recall, two large-scale floods hit the Pearl River Basin, with the Beijiang River experiencing a catastrophic flood. And the main stream of the Liaohe River suffered its biggest flood since 1995.

Third, we have seen more severe regional flood and waterlog disasters. Provinces such as Guangdong and Liaoning were severely affected, and provinces including Sichuan and Qinghai suffered from major mountain torrents. Since the beginning of this year, 171 people have either died or gone missing due to flood and waterlog disasters, and the number of collapsed buildings has reached 27,000, decreases of 60% and 71.7% respectively compared with the average during the same period in the recent five years.

Fourth, we have seen longer periods of high temperatures and droughts. Since July, the Yangtze River Basin has experienced its severest high-temperatures and heatwaves since 1961. The quickly deteriorating droughts in Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei and Hunan have impacted domestic water use, agricultural production and electric power supply.

According to forecasts by meteorological departments, this fall, that is, from September to November, there will be more precipitation in northern, southwestern, central and southern China and the fall rain in western China will start earlier and be generally stronger. The fall rain in western China has already started. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin may continue to suffer droughts that started in summer, and we should not be optimistic about the flood control and drought relief situation. We will go all out to continue the flood control and drought relief work in the post-flood season with a sense of responsibility to always be alert and vigilant.

Since the institutional reform, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the MEM have been conscientiously implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on flood prevention, drought relief and disaster relief, focusing on improving the long-term mechanism for flood prevention and drought relief, and continuing to strengthen capacity building for disaster prevention and mitigation.

First, a work paradigm combining integrated and separated efforts and coordinating prevention and rescue has be formed. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has been giving full play to its leading role in steering and coordinating the work, the MEM has been leveraging its comprehensive strength, and relevant departments have also utilized their professional advantages in this regard. We have basically established a mechanism with inter-departmental coordination and central-local and military-civilian cooperation, so that the advantages of the emergency management system reform have become more evident. 

Second, the responsibility system of joint management by Party and government bodies and delegated responsibilities has be improved. Local Party committees and government institutions have shouldered the main responsibility of disaster prevention and relief, with strengthened implementation of the responsibilities of higher-level administrators, persons with delegated responsibilities, and actual point persons for risk identification and prevention. And this responsibility system extends to villages and communities at the very end. 

Third, the working mechanism has been improved with a focus on preventive and preemptive measures. We have strengthened the joint analysis and assessment on disaster risks between departments, and established an early warning and "call and response" mechanism directly reaching the person responsible at the grassroots level. Heavy rainfall often occurs in the middle of the night or in the early morning when most people are asleep. If warnings by meteorological departments are sent via cell phone text message or WeChat, they may not be received or heard. This requires the meteorological departments to issue a high-level warning, and to wake up those responsible at all levels, especially those at the grassroots level, as soon as possible. So, we called for the establishment of this "call and response" mechanism, which entails a wake-up call and a response to it. Under this mechanism, we start emergency response upon receiving meteorological warnings, dispatching task force for emergency rescue and disaster relief at an earlier time. 

Fourth, a system mainly consisting of professionals and complemented with social participation has be strengthened. An emergency rescue and disaster relief system has been initially established. In this system, the national comprehensive firefighting and rescue task force is the main force, and the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police will take on the difficult tasks, with collaboration by professional rescue teams of relevant departments and central stated owned enterprises and other forces of the society. We have been equipped with advanced and applicable rescue equipment. In disaster response, we act quickly and in an orderly manner with science-based and efficient measures. 

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we have pooled strengths from all fronts and coped with a series of major disasters in recent years. As institutional reforms enter their fourth year, the annual average number of deaths and disappearances, and houses collapsed due to floods has plummeted by 30% and 55%, respectively, compared with the average number over the five years before the reforms began. Thank you. 

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CNR:

A prolonged heat wave and droughts have been lingering in the Sichuan Basin and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River since July, and have impacted production and life in these areas. What is the overall drought situation, and how will it go? What measures have the National Flood Control and Drought Relief Command Headquarters and the MEM taken to deal with it? Thank you.

Zhou Xuewen:

Thank you for your question. Southern China has been hit by a rare and continued heat wave and drought since July, with the Yangtze River basin suffering severely. According to analysis, the main features of the disaster are as follows:

First, the number of days with high temperatures is unprecedentedly high. On average, 32.5 days of high temperatures have been reported in the Yangtze River basin since July, a record high since China established its complete meteorological records system in 1961. More than 35 days of high temperatures have been registered in most parts of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, eastern Sichuan, as well as the city of Chongqing. 

Second, precipitation is unprecedentedly low. The average precipitation has stood at 160.3 mm in the Yangtze River basin since July, a significant 50.4% drop from previous levels and the lowest since 1961. 

Third, the amount of water inflow is abnormally low. Since July, the flow of the mainstream and tributaries of the Yangtze River has been 20-80% less than in previous years, and the flow of its upper and middle reaches has hit a record low since 1949. The water levels of the mainstream of the Yangtze River, the Dongting Lake, and the Poyang Lake are five to eight meters lower than in previous years, the lowest on record. 

Fourth, the heat wave and drought are causing serious damage, affecting 37.85 million people since July, among whom 4.28 million require assistance with basic needs. And around 4,045,000 hectares of crops were badly hit. The immediate economic loss they have caused has reached 31.5 billion yuan, a substantial increase from the records in the past five years. 

The heat wave is about to last until August 31, as per the meteorological departments. While the rainfalls in Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Chongqing, and Hubei have been increasing in recent days, we are highly alert to possible floods, fearing that the prolonged drought could be followed by torrential rains. 

It is predicted that precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will remain low in autumn. The drought could last from summer to autumn and will pose a severe challenge to our drought relief efforts. The Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the MEM have implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on floods prevention, drought relief and disaster relief, and advanced our disaster mitigation work in accordance with the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. 

First, we strengthened coordination. We coordinated with departments of meteorology, water resources, and agriculture and rural affairs on a daily basis to jointly analyze the trend of the drought situation and provide organizational guidance for drought areas. They are advised to enhance accountability, make emergency plans, and get materials and measures in place in order to be well-prepared for a serious and prolonged drought.

Second, we launched emergency drought response promptly. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has launched level-IV emergency response in 10 provinces in a timely manner, and the National Disaster Reduction Committee and the MEM activated a level-IV response for drought. Multiple working groups were sent to drought-hit areas to assist in water supply and drought relief. 

Third, we took various measures to support local disaster relief. The Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the MEM deployed the national comprehensive fire and rescue services to deliver water to drought-hit areas. The water supply in some rural areas was dependent upon small reservoirs and rivers in the mountain. But the continued drought has dried all of these water sources. Drinking water safety must be guaranteed for those suffering water shortages. We also coordinated with the Ministry of Finance and allocated 700 million yuan of central funds for natural disaster relief in advance. We worked together with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration to allocate the central drought relief materials and equipment to fully support local governments' drought mitigation efforts. Thank you. 

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The Poster News APP:

Some accidents happened because enterprises did not fulfill their due duties. What measures has the MEM taken to make sure enterprises perform their duties as the major body of accountability for workplace safety? Thank you.

Song Yuanming:

Thank you for your question. Enterprises are the last and most important link of the responsibility chain for workplace safety. Either the leadership responsibilities of local governments and Party committees or the oversight responsibilities of competent departments will ultimately be reflected in enterprises' fulfilling their primary responsibilities. General Secretary Xi Jinping once said that whether or not to take concrete and serious measures will make a difference in terms of workplace safety. The general guideline for the work of the MEM is to pinpoint problems and conduct effective supervision.

As for pinpointing problems, we mainly adopt measures to address the weak points of enterprises' production factors and to improve the four factors' overall quality. 

First, improving personnel quality. Together with the Ministry of Human Resources, we launched an action plan to improve the safety skills of staff in high-risk industries. One of the 15 hard measures issued by the Workplace Safety Committee of the State Council is to strengthen safety management in the fields of labor dispatch and flexible employment. We also launched a strike on training programs held just for show and cooperated with the Ministry of Public Security on a counterfeit certificate crackdown.

Second, improving enterprises' technical equipment. We regularly issue a list of outdated technical equipment and technology that should be phased out, and encourage traditional enterprises to be digitalized and smart. Take the coal industry, one of the traditional industries, for example: its smart transformation has been quite successful. Meanwhile, enterprises will also receive severe punishments for a lack of safety investment.

Third, improving enterprises' safety management. We ask enterprises to establish special safety management teams and optimize relevant regulations. We also help them to build an advanced, standardized management system to ensure workplace safety. Management practices that violate the law, such as subcontract and affiliate or lending qualifications, will be punished.

Fourth, improving safety awareness of business leaders who play a critical role. It is stipulated by the law that the legal representatives and actual controllers of enterprises are the "first to be held accountable" for workplace safety. They must fulfill the seven responsibilities specified in the Law on Workplace Safety. The theme of this year's "Workplace Safety Month" is abiding by the Law on Workplace Safety and fulfilling the responsibilities of the "first to be held accountable," which is also one of the 15 hard measures adopted by the Workplace Safety Committee of the State Council. 

As for effective supervision, we have been following the regularity that the precision and intensity of safety supervision is proportionate to how enterprises fulfill their primary responsibilities in this respect. That's to say, the more precise and more intense the supervision is, the better enterprises implement their responsibilities. Otherwise, it would be totally the opposite. 

To achieve effective supervision, we have been committed to the following three aspects: First, being committed to precise supervision. We have been targeting the major risks of key enterprises in key industries and objecting to bluff or one-size-fits-all supervision. Second, being committed to strict and standard law enforcement. We have employed the methods of investigation, tip-off, exposure to the public, law enforcement, accountability, admonition, notification, and supervision, as well as warning education. We are also resolutely against loose or non-standard law enforcement. Third, being committed to enthusiastic services. We have been providing on-site expertise service, offering assistance to key regions, and rallying central financial support. Through government service procurement, we have launched a campaign to promote workplace safety standardization, and enterprises that meet the standards will receive positive incentives, boosting their personnel's sense of dignity, accomplishment, and happiness. 

In the future, the MEM will continue its efforts to supervise enterprises' fulfilling their primary responsibilities and provide high-quality safety services for their high-quality development. Thank you.

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Cover News:

Since the emergency management reform was introduced, the functions of the nation's comprehensive fire and rescue services have been expanded to cover all kinds of disasters. Can you tell us more about the characteristics of this function transformation? Thank you.

Qiong Se:

Thank you for your question. Our functions have been significantly expanded since the reform started. Our main duty used to be fire rescue in urban and rural areas, as well as extinguishing forest and grassland fires and saving people's lives. Now we are tasked with comprehensively responding to all forms of disasters. The total alarms we received have increased from 1.173 million in 2018 to 1.963 million in 2021, up 67.3 percent. The main characteristics are as follows:

First, putting the people and their lives first. We always heed the call of the Party and the people and fight in fields where the people need us most. Bearing the people's interests in mind, we are committed to putting their lives and safety front and center and implementing it in earnest. Since 2018, about 808,000 people have been rescued from various disasters and accidents and 2.2 million have been evacuated. 

Second, being combat-oriented. To better exercise our functions, we have optimized our teams and equipment systems and organized about 3,500 professional rescue teams that are adapted to multiple scenarios such as high buildings, the chemical industry, earthquakes, mountains, bodies of water, and freezing hazards. Around 9,800 special firefighting vehicles and fireboats, 2.96 million personal protective equipment, and 1.64 million emergency rescue equipment were newly added, and another 160 warehouses were built for disaster relief material reserves.

Third, maintaining a combat readiness. To build up first-class fighting capacity, we have been in a state of preparedness around the clock and are on high alert and ready for a quick response. We have actively organized exercises involving all personnel and held a ministerial-provincial earthquake relief drill named "Mission of Emergency Rescue" for two consecutive years, aiming to improve our professional response and enhance our capacity to deal with major earthquakes and catastrophes. 

Fourth, upholding scientific command. We have improved the authoritative and efficient national emergency response command and joint coordination mechanism and framed an "all-in-one map" featuring smart command over fire and rescue efforts. We have organized 12 large-scale and trans-regional reinforcements and pooled strengths to coordinate and cope with major disasters and accidents such as the floods that ravaged northern and southern China in 2020, the torrential rain that caused havoc in Zhengzhou on July 20, 2021, and the collapse of a self-built building in Changsha on April 29, 2022, as well as the recent forest fires raging in Chongqing, fully demonstrating the new advantages of our new system of emergency management and fire rescue.

The practice has demonstrated that decisions made by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee on reforming emergency management and the national comprehensive firefighting and rescue team are very wise. We will faithfully implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, keep in mind his expectations, and resolutely ensure that we are ready for and can win in any task, saving people from disasters, assisting them when they are in danger, and giving them strength. We will always fight in places where the people need us most and be the loyal guards of the Party and the people forever. Thank you. 

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Red Star News:

Major emergencies are highly complicated and cross-regional. At the rescue scene of various major emergencies, we often see various rescue forces working together. Since its establishment, what has been done by the MEM to coordinate emergency force building and emergency command and dispatch? Thank you.

Qiong Se:

Thank you for your question. Coordinating emergency force building and emergency command and dispatch is an important task for reforming the emergency management system and advancing the modernization of the emergency management system and its capacity. In recent years, we have continuously strengthened emergency force building and optimized emergency command and dispatch based on the tasks that require our rescue to cover a full range of disasters and integrate all the forces and resources.

In coordinating the building of emergency forces, we have prioritized the following three aspects. First, we have given priority to the leading role of the system. We have advanced the development of the emergency rescue force system with Chinese characteristics. Our system uses the national comprehensive firefighting and rescue team as the major force in coordination with professional rescue teams in industries and sectors. Meanwhile, we use the military emergency forces as our fast-response force with social forces as auxiliary. Second, we have given priority to the scientific layout of emergency forces. We have focused on developing a comprehensive national firefighting and rescue team, set up six regional emergency rescue centers at national levels, and coordinated the building of emergency rescue forces such as aviation rescue forces and natural disasters rescue forces. Third, we have given our priority to the community level. We have extended the reach of emergency forces to communities, villages, and enterprises and built miniature fire stations and emergency rescue stations in key areas and places to improve self-rescue capability and the level of emergency disposal at early stages. 

In coordinating emergency command and dispatch, our work has mainly focused on strengthening the following three aspects. First, we have strengthened the unified command and improved the military-civilian, inter-departmental and inter-regional joint response mechanisms so as to ensure that rescue operations are carried out in a well-coordinated way. Second, we have strengthened on-site command. We have promoted the construction of commanding institutions at the site of disasters and accidents, improved the model of on-site command of operations, and actively developed an on-site coordination mechanism engaging various emergency forces in rescue operations to keep the rescue scene well-regulated and orderly. Third, we have strengthened professional command. We have given full play to the role of experts, strengthened consultation and analysis, and made decisions and command in a scientific way, with an effort to save lives as much as possible and reduce the losses caused by disasters to a minimum so as to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of rescue. Thank you.

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China News Service:

We have noticed that in the past two years, the MEM has intensified its efforts to combat counterfeiting in certificates for special operations and protect the rights and interests of special operation personnel. Can you elaborate on that?

Song Yuanming:

Thank you for your question. There are ten types of special operation personnel, such as electricians, electric welders, and people work high above the ground. They are a very important group in enterprises. The operations they engage in are relatively high-risk and prone to accidents. Therefore, the law clearly stipulates that special operation personnel must undergo special training, pass an examination, and be certified to work. Currently, there are over 17 million special operation personnel nationwide, with an annual increase of about two million people. However, in recent years, we have found that some criminals, driven by interests, counterfeit the government website of the MEM, forge and buy and sell fake certificates, make false publicity, and induce practitioners to be deceived. Some practitioners have been deceived by false websites or advertisements claiming that they will get a pass in the exam and got fake certificates, which seriously violated the legitimate rights and interests of the practitioners and also caused some people without basic security skills to engage in high-risk operations, leaving major potential dangers to workplace safety of enterprises. To deal with these problems, we have mainly focused on strengthening supervision and providing warm services to safeguard the rights and interests of people.

First, we have worked on combating fake certificates. The MEM and the Ministry of Public Security have launched a special program on combating counterfeiting government websites and forging and selling fake certificates. Over the past year, emergency management departments at all levels have guided enterprises to conduct self-examination and self-rectification. About 31.78 million certificates have been verified through the national unified certificate inquiry platform. We have carried out inspections of compliance with laws on more than 300,000 enterprises and investigated and punished 9,855 persons working without certificates and 1,343 persons with fake certificates. We have found some clues through investigating fake certificates and handed them to public security departments timely, with 313 clues having been handled. At the same time, public security organs at all levels have acted firmly and swiftly. They have solved 154 cases of producing and selling fake certificates, arrested 899 criminal suspects, busted 44 gangs, shut down 461 counterfeit websites, seized over 100,000 fake certificates and seals, and identified 270,000 fake certificates by sorting out background data of counterfeit websites. All of these efforts have formed a powerful deterrent. Currently, the two departments have established a regular working mechanism for combating counterfeits. All counterfeits will be investigated and punished promptly and decisively once spotted.

Second, we have offered thoughtful services. We have provided cross-provincial services for special work personnel. Through technological means, we have realized cross-regional and cross-level sharing of internal data. Practitioners can take exams and apply for certificates and recertification at the place of their household registration or work. That is to say, for special work personnel, they don't always have to return to the place of their household registration to apply for certificates. They can apply for recertification and exams in cities above the prefecture level where they work, with data sharing allowing them to get things done with greater ease. In addition, we have promoted electronic certificates. Electronic certificates have the same legal validity as paper certificates. Special work personnel can download electronic certificates for free anytime and anywhere from the MEM's website. People no longer have to worry about certificates getting lost or being seized by enterprises. So far, we have issued 13.64 million new electronic certificates. We have also established a national unified certificate inquiry platform on the website of the MEM. Through the platform, we can quickly verify the authenticity of the certificate. Those that cannot be found on the platform are fake ones. Meanwhile, basic information on examination institutions and tutoring institutions in various places has been posted on the platform, so that practitioners can choose to take exams nearby and avoid being deceived by false promotions.

Next, we will act upon the requirements of reforms to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation, and upgrade services, and continue to optimize services to provide convenience for special work personnel. Thank you.

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21st Century Business Herald:

China is one of the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters in the world. Since its establishment, what preparations have the MEM made in response to major and catastrophic disasters? Thank you.

Zhou Xuewen:

Thank you for your question. It is a basic reality that China has a large variety of natural disasters, distributed over a wide area and with high frequency, causing heavy losses. Since its establishment, the MEM has fully implemented the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on disaster prevention, mitigation and rescue, put people and their lives first, always been alert to the worst possible scenarios, adopted proactive strategies and strived for the best results, and always focused on emergency preparedness for major and catastrophic disasters. To be specific, we have strengthened preparedness in the following five aspects to achieve "five improvements."

First, we have strengthened emergency preparedness in mechanisms, improving the overall capacity for emergency response with unimpeded communication at all levels and coordination and interconnection among all parties. The comprehensive strengths of the MEM's departments and the professional advantages of relevant departments have been given full play. Joint mechanisms in military-civilian coordination, emergency transportation, and aviation rescue have been established. The systems for exchanging information, sharing resources, jointly constructing forces, and jointly supporting operations have been improved. A joint emergency response setup with distinctive focus, mutual complementarity and mutual support has been developed, effectively boosting the overall synergy of unified planning, integrated operation and joint actions.

Second, we have strengthened preparedness in contingency plans, improving emergency response awareness based on contingency plans. We have actively adapted to a new round of reforms to the emergency management system, and promoted the development of an emergency planning system. Over 650 special and departmental contingency plans at national and provincial levels have been issued and the revision of contingency plans at municipal and county level has been fully carried out. At the same time, we have strengthened the dynamic management, examination, evaluation, publicity and interpretation of the contingency plans, and given full play to their leading role in guiding emergency preparedness and directing rescue operations when disasters occur, which has effectively raised the awareness of emergency response based on contingency plans at all levels.

Third, we have strengthened preparedness in emergency forces, improving the emergency rescue operations featuring pre-positioned arrangements and tiered combination of forces. We have analyzed trends based on disaster risks and consulted with relevant departments at the beginning of each year to discuss and plan for preparedness in emergency forces in response to major and catastrophic disasters. We have coordinated and deployed firefighting, military, professional and social emergency forces in accordance with regions and categories and clarified the composition of forces, tasks, professional combination and delivery batches, which has effectively improved the capabilities of rapid response and efficient rescue. At the same time, we accelerated the development and deployment of advanced rescue equipment. We have built and installed large-scale marine engineering rescue ships on the Yangtze and Huai rivers. In particular, the dynamic pontoon bridge that played an important role in the flood disaster relief in Xinxiang, Henan province, was called the "rescue aircraft carrier" by netizens.

Fourth, we have strengthened preparedness in capabilities, improving the emergency rescue operation methods featuring efficient coordination and targeted rescue. We have taken emergency drills as the platform, carried out trainings in realistic and difficult conditions with strict standards, and practiced command, coordination, operational methods and support, so as to test contingency plans, strengthen teams and improve capacities. In the past two years, the MEM, together with Sichuan and Gansu provinces, jointly held two large-scale realistic earthquake relief drills. The participating teams were tested under real environments and complex conditions. Emergency drills have also been carried out in various localities on a regular basis, which has effectively improved the rescue capabilities of multi-disaster response, multi-force combination and multi-technology integration.

Fifth, we have strengthened preparedness in emergency supplies, improving emergency support capabilities featuring joint reserve and supply and joint deployment and support. We have strengthened the reserves of emergency supplies in accordance with local conditions so as to respond to major and catastrophic disasters and have optimized the variety, scale, distribution and standards of reserve supplies. We have improved the deployment of supplies by means of a national emergency resource management platform, coordinated with logistics enterprises to improve the emergency logistics support system, effectively enhancing the emergency supply support capabilities with rational layout, efficient deployment and rapid arrival. Thank you.

Chen Wenjun:

If you have no more questions, today's briefing is hereby concluded. Thank you to all the speakers and friends from media. Thank you.

Translated and edited by Xu Xiaoxuan, Wang Wei, Zhou Jing, Huang Shan, Yan Xiaoqing, Yan Bin, Liu Sitong, Liu Qiang, Xu Kailin, Li Huiru, He Shan, Yuan Fang, David Ball, Tom Arnsten, and Jay Birbeck. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.