Chinese vice premier, senior UN official discuss disaster efforts

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:54 April 23 2009]
• Comments

Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu (R) meets with John Holmes, United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, in Beijing, capital of China, April 22, 2009. (Xinhua/Liu Jiansheng)

BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu met here Wednesday with John Holmes, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.

Hui said that China was one of the countries most severely affected by natural disasters. The government has exerted great effort to comprehensively improve natural disaster risk management and disaster reduction ability, always adhering to the policy of putting people first and putting life above everything

He said China has made remarkable progress in enhancing its risk management and disaster reduction capabilities. This is a great contribution to the global humanitarian cause.

He said he appreciated the role of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in international humanitarian affairs, adding that China is willing to cement cooperation with that agency to strengthen the timeliness and usefulness of international humanitarian activities.

Holmes spoke highly of China's disaster reduction and poverty relief efforts, as well as the country's quake relief and reconstruction work. He expressed hope to deepen cooperation with China.