BEIJING -- The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held its 25th group study session on the afternoon of April 28, focusing on improving the capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the session. He stressed that it is imperative to take a strategic perspective of coordinating high-quality development with high-standard security, become fully aware of the importance of ensuring good results from disaster prevention, mitigation and relief, enhance the capacity to prevent and respond to natural disasters, and effectively safeguard people's lives and property.

Comrade Yang Siquan from the National Institute of Natural Hazards under the Ministry of Emergency Management gave a lecture on this issue and put forward suggestions. Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee listened attentively to the lecture and held discussions.

Following the presentations and discussions, Xi delivered an important speech. He pointed out that China, with its vast territory, complex geography and diverse climate, is prone to frequent natural disasters. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has consistently treated disaster prevention, mitigation and relief as a matter of great importance bearing on people's safety and national security. It has made a series of arrangements in terms of conceptual transformation, institutional reform, system refinement and capacity enhancement. The committee has led officials and the public in overcoming a number of major natural disasters, with achievements widely recognized by the international community. Practice has yielded a profound understanding that in order to do a good job in disaster prevention, mitigation and relief, the country must uphold the Party's overall leadership, put the people and their lives first, respect the laws of nature, prioritize prevention, pursue reform and innovation, adopt a holistic approach, and promote joint management by all sectors of society.

Reducing disaster risks and minimizing losses hinge on advance prevention, Xi stressed. Efforts should be made to strengthen source control and integrate requirements for safety and resilience throughout territorial spatial planning and all types of development planning. He called for intensified inspection and rectification of potential hazards, with a systematic review and precise identification of various disaster risks. He also underscored the need to enhance engineering-based measures, appropriately raise fortification standards for key infrastructure in major cities and disaster-prone areas, and move faster to shore up weak links.

Xi pointed out that we must firmly uphold a bottom-line mindset and an extreme-case approach and steadily enhance the capacity to respond to and handle major and catastrophic disasters. It is imperative to conduct in-depth assessments of the risks from major and catastrophic disasters, strengthen monitoring and early warning mechanisms, and improve emergency response plans. He said that efforts should be made to improve the emergency command mechanism within the framework of overall safety and emergency response system, and to advance the development of the national comprehensive fire and rescue team as well as the nation's regional emergency rescue centers. Coordinated efforts should be made in comprehensive rescue, transitional resettlement, and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.

Xi emphasized the need to strengthen scientific and technological support as well as legal safeguards for responding to natural disasters. This includes promoting technological and industrial innovation in the emergency response sector, strengthening discipline development and talent cultivation in emergency management, advancing in-depth basic research on natural disasters, and deepening international exchanges and cooperation in this field. He added that it is also necessary to improve the legal system for emergency response, further elevating the law-based governance level of disaster prevention, mitigation and relief.

Xi noted that the grassroots, as the front line for preventive and protective responses to natural disasters, should never allow relaxation in their work to strengthen capabilities and consolidate foundations. It is essential to improve the grassroots' systems for emergency rescue forces, enhance the construction of emergency facilities, guarantee the provision of equipment and necessities, and build up community-based monitoring, prevention, and management. He said that efforts to popularize scientific knowledge should be expanded to raise nationwide public awareness and preparedness for disaster prevention and risk control.

The actual undertaking of responsibilities in disaster prevention, mitigation and relief work should be earnestly implemented, Xi emphasized. All regions and relevant departments must fully uphold their responsibilities for respective localities and divisions, combine centralized and decentralized approaches, ensure the integration of prevention and rescue efforts, and foster multilayered coordination to build up a collaborative working framework that features togetherness and coordination. He said that a correct understanding of governance performance should be established and practiced. Tendencies such as prioritizing development over safety, or disaster relief over prevention should be rectified resolutely. Education and training should be further enhanced to upgrade capabilities of officials at all levels for disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief.