China holds int'l symposium to promote urban safety

HANGZHOU - The first China International Symposium on Urban Safety was held Thursday and Friday in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province.

Themed "Safe Cities Create a Better Life," the symposium was hosted by the Ministry of Emergency Management and the China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, with a focus on facilitating the nationwide construction of role model cities for safety and enhancing the assessment and management of urban risks.

The symposium gathered more than 40 delegates from China and abroad, shedding light on the innovative use of advanced technologies in ensuring urban safety, including big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and 5G Internet.

Beate Trankmann, resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China, spoke highly of China's efforts in improving urban infrastructure to prevent risks and strengthening emergency management, adding that UNDP is willing to cooperate with China to make Chinese cities safer and more resilient.

The State Council released a guideline last month for the evaluation and management of demonstration cities in terms of safety to promote urban safety.