Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu on Thursday urged officials to improve the emergency system for natural disasters and to do well in disaster prevention and relief work.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of a forum for provincial officials on emergency management for natural disasters, Hui said China's natural disaster prevention and relief cause has made remarkable progress in the past few years.

Currently, a nationwide disaster relief system has been established, infrastructure of disaster prevention and relief has been improved, a natural disaster emergency system has taken an initial shape and China has done its utmost to relieve losses caused by natural disasters and to safeguard people's interests, Hui said.

"However, China is a country frequently hit by a variety of natural disasters. To improve natural disaster management is vital to people's life and asset security and is a necessary requirement for healthy economic and social development," said Hui.

Therefore, scientific and feasible countermeasures for natural disasters should be set up and emergency systems for natural disasters be established. Research on the frequency of natural disasters should be stepped up and accuracy of natural disaster forecasting be promoted, he said.

Hui said in conclusion that investment would increase in a bid to strengthen infrastructure construction for natural disaster prevention and relief.

(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2004)