This aerial photo taken on July 2, 2023 shows a view of the residential area in Caotan village of Yantouzhai town, Guzhang county of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, central China's Hunan province, as torrential rain has been battering parts of Hunan since Thursday, with the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture experiencing the most severe rainfall since the flood season, according to the Hunan provincial flood and drought control headquarters on Saturday. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping has demanded that authorities at all levels must give top priority to ensuring people's safety and property, and strive to minimize various losses in the work regarding flood prevention and disaster relief.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an important instruction after continuous heavy rainfall hit regions including southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, causing heavy casualties and property losses.
He required the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the ministries of emergency management and water resources to enhance coordination, strengthen consultation and research, and improve early warnings and forecasts.
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Xi underlined that leading officials at all levels must take the lead in fighting the floods, put the people's safety and property first, and strive to minimize all kinds of losses.