China mulls law revision to advance emergency response

BEIJING, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers on Monday started deliberating a draft law revision to improve the country's emergency response system.

The draft revision to the Emergency Response Law was submitted to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for its first reading.

The draft proposes establishing an emergency management system featuring unified command, specialized and regular operations, quick response, and effective coordination between the upper and lower levels.

The draft calls for building an online direct reporting system and an automatic rapid reporting system to increase the efficiency of emergency reporting.

The draft defines further efforts to establish sound guarantee systems for material reserves, transportation services, and energy for emergency response.

The draft also stipulates special protection and priority for minors, the elderly, people with disabilities, and women during pregnancy and nursing in emergency response.

The current law on emergency response was enacted in 2007 and has played a vital role in preventing and reducing emergencies.

However, emergency response management has encountered some new challenges, especially since the COVID-19 epidemic, and therefore needs a law revision.