Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on Saturday urged efforts to improve all types of measures for preventing and reducing natural disasters.

May 12 marks the fourth anniversary of the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that jolted China's southwest Sichuan province in 2008, leaving more than 80,000 people dead.

More than 10,000 military and civilian personnel on Saturday participated in a four-hour comprehensive exercise held in Chengdu and other cities in Sichuan province to simulate post-quake rescue and relief work.

After overseeing the exercise, Vice Premier Hui said the exercise was successful and impressive, and it showed that people have been instilled with knowledge and skills for disaster prevention and reduction.

Hui said China is one of the countries around the world that suffers the most serious natural disasters. After fighting all kinds of disasters, a command-and-work mechanism for disaster prevention and relief has been established.

In the upcoming period, mankind may face heavier tasks in disaster prevention and reduction work since there will be more extreme weather conditions due to global climate change and increased earthquake activity, Hui said.

Government agencies at all levels responsible for disaster prevention and reduction work should strengthen their cooperation and coordination capabilities, enhance disaster monitoring and make more efforts to evacuate at-risk citizens before disasters occur, he said.

The government should also increase its stockpile of disaster relief materials and equipment and publicize more disaster-prevention knowledge, he said.

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