Political Lens

Xi's article on enhancing disaster management capabilities published

An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on enhancing disaster prevention, mitigation and relief capabilities was published on Sunday.

The article by Xi, who is also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, was published in this year's 16th issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.

China has a vast territory, complex geography and diverse climate, making it prone to frequent natural disasters, the article said. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee has led officials and the public in overcoming a series of major natural disasters, minimizing casualties and property losses to the greatest extent possible, with achievements widely recognized by the international community.

According to the article, to ensure effective disaster prevention, mitigation and relief work, it is a must to uphold the Party's overall leadership, put people and their lives first, respect the laws of nature, prioritize prevention, pursue reform and innovation, take a systematic approach and promote public participation.

China's disaster prevention, mitigation and relief work currently faces many new situations and challenges, the article said, stressing the need to fully recognize the utmost importance of such work, build on strengths, address weaknesses, and continuously improve the country's capabilities and competence to respond to natural disasters.

Remains of late Chinese leader Zhu Rongji to be cremated

The remains of late Chinese leader Zhu Rongji will be cremated in Beijing on Tuesday.

Zhu, who passed away on Wednesday at the age of 98, had served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 14th and 15th Central Committees of the Communist Party of China, and premier of the State Council.

To mourn his death, national flags will fly at half-mast on Tuesday at Tian'anmen Square, Xinhuamen, the Great Hall of the People, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seats of provincial-level committees of the CPC and provincial-level governments, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, border ports, seaports and airports, and Chinese embassies and consulates.

Zhu was praised in an obituary jointly issued by the CPC Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, as an excellent Party member, a time-tested and loyal communist fighter, and an outstanding proletarian revolutionist, statesman and leader of the Party and the State.

XINHUA