Learning from experiences

Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday the past five years were a momentous period for China, as the country recorded rapid economic and social development amid some major disasters including the SARS outbreak, typhoons, floods and recent snow and ice storms, according to an article by Xinhua News Agency. The following is an excerpt:

China suffered great life and economic losses from the above-mentioned disasters, but the country is also learning to better deal with them.

Snow and ice storms plagued eastern and southern China in January and February, leading to widespread traffic jams, structural collapses, blackouts and crop losses in 19 provincial regions, leaving 129 people dead and causing 151.65 billion yuan ($21.3 billion) of losses.