China vows efforts to ensure workplace safety, fire prevention

BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday pledged to intensify efforts to ensure workplace safety and enhance fire prevention and suppression in forests and grasslands during the autumn and winter seasons.

A video conference focusing on the efforts was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The conference called for a strong problem-oriented approach and robust measures to effectively manage safety production and forest fire prevention, with a firm commitment to preventing major accidents and fires.

It emphasized the need to advance a three-year campaign aimed at addressing fundamental issues in workplace safety, with a focus on further strengthening the supervision of hazardous materials, construction operations and thermal insulation materials.

Authorities were urged to enhance the capacity for fire safety oversight at the grassroots level and to rigorously investigate and rectify major safety hazards.

The meeting also stressed the importance of proactive prevention, calling for the implementation of responsibilities and measures for forest fire prevention at the grassroots level to minimize fire risks as much as possible, and ensuring the safety of both the public and firefighting personnel.

Zhang Guoqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Wang Xiaohong, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and state councilor, presided over the conference.