China pushes for stronger global cooperation on disaster response

China has reiterated its call for closer international cooperation in disaster response and emergency management, highlighting the urgent need to improve global capabilities in disaster prevention and mitigation.

Speaking at a high-level Belt and Road ministerial meeting on Thursday, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing emphasized China’s commitment to working with other nations to strengthen disaster prevention systems, enhance emergency response strategies, and promote the use of modern technologies in disaster reduction efforts.

“Disasters know no borders, and their impacts are deeply felt across all regions,” Zhang said during the meeting in Sanya, Hainan Province. “China stands ready to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative to improve international disaster response and management mechanisms.”

Zhang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that China has long played an active role in global disaster relief—dispatching professional rescue teams to foreign disaster zones, sharing expertise, and supplying vital relief resources to affected countries.

The ministerial meeting attracted emergency management officials, experts, and scholars from 36 countries and 11 international organizations. It was convened to discuss cooperative frameworks aimed at reducing the human and economic toll of natural disasters, particularly in Belt and Road partner nations that are frequently hit by extreme weather events, earthquakes, floods, and other emergencies.

Given the frequency of large-scale natural disasters and the growing risks associated with climate change, Zhang stressed the importance of advancing disaster prediction technologies, early-warning systems, and cross-border rescue coordination.

“By sharing knowledge, building joint capacity, and strengthening early-warning networks, we can save more lives and protect more livelihoods,” he added.

China’s push for collaboration in disaster management aligns with its broader efforts to enhance regional and international partnerships under the Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to address common challenges through connectivity and shared development.

The conference concluded with a renewed commitment from participating countries and organizations to work together toward a resilient global disaster response framework.