SHIJIAZHUANG -- Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing on Tuesday stressed the need to strengthen the country's regional emergency rescue centers and enhance emergency rescue operational capabilities to better safeguard people's lives and property.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when inspecting a national regional emergency rescue center in North China's Hebei province.

During his inspection of the center in Zhangjiakou city, Zhang visited facilities, including a simulated training ground and an emergency equipment and supply warehouse. He reviewed the development of firefighting and rescue teams, the operation of training facilities, the storage and deployment of equipment and supplies, and the overall management of the center.

He emphasized focusing on regional rescue needs during major natural disasters, strengthening emergency response, enhancing multi-dimensional deployment of rescue forces and modular storage of supplies, and ensuring nearby dispatch, swift action and the fastest possible arrival at disaster-hit areas to carry out rescue operations.

Zhang called for strengthening professional rescue forces for flood control, earthquake search and rescue and forest firefighting, speeding up the deployment of advanced equipment such as aviation rescue facilities, and enhancing emergency rescue capabilities under extreme conditions and in complex scenarios, including disruptions to roads, power and communication networks.

Noting that the Qingming Festival holiday is approaching, Zhang said local authorities should further refine and implement measures for workplace safety and fire prevention, strengthen safety precautions at crowded places, and step up targeted supervision and guidance for high-risk forest and grassland fire areas to better safeguard people's lives and property.