Premier emphasizes smooth transport operations, workplace safety during Spring Festival

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday emphasized that appropriate measures are in place to ensure the sound operations of the country's transportation network and key sectors during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the statement during an inspection tour of the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Efforts must focus on monitoring and coordinating transport capacity while coping with the changing weather conditions such as blizzards and cold waves that have impacted travelers in some regions, the premier said.

While at the ministry, the premier also virtually inspected key industries, particularly those involved with the use of hazardous chemicals. Li urged them to ensure that work safety measures were in order to avoid any major accidents from occurring during the holiday.

To ensure safety, he urged on-site management of festival activities, tourist attractions as well as crowded places.

Having learned about the national emergency management system's holiday operation situation, he called on all localities and departments to strictly implement the holiday duty system, refine and optimize the contingency plans, and activate instant response, dispatch and rescue in case of an emergency.

The Spring Festival holiday, which is a time for family reunions across the country, runs from Feb 10 to 17 this year.