Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has urged central and local officials to continue their efforts in fighting frequent disasters, especially preparations to defend against extreme weather conditions.

Hui, also director of National Commission for Disaster Reduction, stressed at a meeting on Tuesday that officials should strengthen monitoring of potentially disastrous weather and release of information so the public can take the necessary precautions as the main typhoon season draws near.

Governments at all levels should also organize reconstruction in disaster-hit areas and resume farming in rural calamity-hit regions to maintain a steady social order for the upcoming 17th CPC national congress, Hui said.

He urged local officials to prioritize people's safety, strengthen disaster forecasts and ensure the security of reservoirs and hydropower stations.

Floods have hit many parts of China since May, causing hundreds of deaths and serious economic losses. The Huaihe River, the country's third longest, saw the largest flood since 1954 this summer, and the water in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River also rose above the warning line.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2007)