Center aims to ease disasters in Pacific Island countries

A platform for preventing and mitigating disasters in Pacific Island countries officially started operations on Thursday in Jiangmen, a Pearl River Delta city in Guangdong province, on Thursday.

The center — the China-Pacific Island Countries Center for Disaster Risk Reduction Cooperation — is the first multilateral cooperation platform established by China and Pacific Island countries in the field of disaster prevention and mitigation, sources in the Guangdong Department of Emergency Management said.

It aims to provide Pacific Island countries with disaster risk monitoring and early warning technology and services, post-disaster emergency material support, rescue operation support, marine disaster prevention and mitigation technology support and disaster prevention and mitigation capacity training.

The center is designed t o enhance understanding and friendship between the people of China and Pacific Island countries and serve the economic and social development of both sides.

It was jointly created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Guangdong provincial government.