国内英语新闻:China stresses work safety, flood control

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese officials Thursday urged increased efforts in work safety supervision and the prevention of floods during rainy season.

China will continue to carry out nationwide inspections on workplace safety to prevent major accidents, according to a video and telephone conference held by the Work Safety Committee of the State Council.

Vice Premier Ma Kai attended the conference.

While progress has been made in improving work safety, frequent tragedies still occur and there are safety hazards which officials should focus more closely on, according to the meeting.

Ahead of the rainy season, local authorities should implement measures to guard against flood risks and prevent accidents caused by natural disasters, the meeting stressed.

In a separate meeting Thursday, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters also called for measures to cope with heavy rain, especially in the country's northern regions.

Coordinated efforts should be made to ensure accurate forecasting of strong rainstorms, providing support for flood relief measures, it said.