China building emergency information network

The Ministry of Emergency Management is building a network of information for emergencies, ministry spokeswoman Shen Zhanli said on Tuesday.

The network aims to provide authoritative information to the public, said Shen. Under normal condition, it will mainly focus on forecast and warning on potential risks and spread of relevant information. In case of emergency, it will quickly disseminate important information about disaster and relief measures. 

Shen said the ministry will release information in a timely, accurate, open and transparent manner. The information is mainly collected from monitoring facilities on meteorology, earthquake, water conservancy, natural resources, among others, as well as from more than 700,000 disaster information workers nationwide.

In addition to releasing information, the network will also provide safety tips and information on steps taken in case of serious disasters. 

The ministry will enhance disaster prevention, mitigation and relief capabilities at grassroots level. It will standardize emergency management at grassroots, build emergency rescue centers at grassroots, and establish national model communities in emergency responses. 

The ministry will organize the first national competition among emergency organizations from March to May this year.