CPC Central Committee Politburo Holds Meeting on Flood Control and Drought Relief, Xi Jinping Presides

The Politburo of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held a meeting on June 30 to study and arrange flood control and drought relief work. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.

The meeting pointed out that during the upcoming main flood season, China will still experience an above-average frequency of extreme weather and climate events, with both flooding and drought occurring simultaneously. All regions and relevant departments should further enhance their awareness, firmly establish bottom-line thinking and worst-case-scenario thinking, prepare for major floods, severe droughts, and strong typhoons, and take effective measures to carry out all work related to flood control, drought relief, emergency rescue, and disaster relief.

The meeting emphasized that people's life safety must always be the top priority. The accuracy of monitoring and forecasting should be improved, personnel should be relocated and evacuated in a timely and decisive manner, and mass casualties must be strictly prevented. Flood control safety of major rivers and lakes must be ensured, and spatial management and control of river and lake flood discharge must be comprehensively strengthened. Close attention should be paid to the risk of rapid transition from drought to flood, with both flood control and drought relief emphasized simultaneously, and unified management and dispatch of water sources should be strengthened. The safety of major infrastructure and projects under construction during flood seasons must be ensured, hazard investigation should be strengthened, and the protection of agricultural infrastructure should be enhanced.

The meeting stated that rescue and disaster relief operations should be carried out quickly and efficiently. Preparations in terms of personnel, equipment, and supplies should be further improved. Overall deployment and pre-positioning should be strengthened to enhance rescue capabilities under extreme conditions. Disaster relief and assistance should be carried out with dedication and compassion, ensuring the basic living needs of affected people are met. Resources should be tilted toward grassroots levels, and forces should be deployed to front-line positions to improve grassroots capabilities in flood prevention, disaster reduction, and relief.

The meeting demanded that Party committees and governments at all levels earnestly implement the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and strictly implement the responsibility system for flood control and drought relief. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters should strengthen overall coordination and command, and all relevant departments should fulfill their duties. Leading cadres at all levels must firmly establish and practice a correct view of performance, strengthen duty attendance, command from the front line, and organize and mobilize the masses to fully carry out disaster prevention, reduction, and relief work. Grassroots Party organizations and the vast majority of Party members and cadres should fully play their roles as fighting fortresses and vanguard role models, bravely shoulder heavy responsibilities, and charge ahead on the front lines of flood control, drought relief, and rescue operations, effectively safeguarding the safety of people's lives and property and the overall stability of society.

The meeting also studied other matters.