The CCP Politburo met on June 30, chaired by Xi, and instructed accelerated
flood and drought prevention and relief. It ordered prioritizing citizens’
safety, improving monitoring and forecasting precision, and conducting timely,
decisive evacuations to avoid mass casualties. The Politburo demanded
strengthened flood protection for major rivers and lakes and tighter control of
river/lake flow corridors, while treating rapid shifts between drought and flood
as a key risk and pursuing both flood and drought measures. It called for
unified water-source management and scheduling, enhanced inspections and
protections for major infrastructure and construction projects, and
reinforcement of agricultural infrastructure. Authorities were told to ensure
fast, efficient rescue and relief capacity via pre-positioning of forces,
equipment and supplies, and to shift resources and personnel to
grassroots/frontline units to boost local disaster-response capability and
safeguard basic living needs of affected populations.
