Xi chairs CPC leadership meeting on Gyirong mudslide rescue efforts

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday chaired a Party leadership meeting to deliberate and make arrangements on rescue and relief efforts after a devastating mudslide hit Gyirong County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

At the beginning of the meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi, who is also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other leaders observed a moment of silence to mourn the victims of the disaster, which struck the border port of Gyirong on Wednesday.

According to the meeting, emergency rescue operations have been carried out swiftly and in an orderly and well-coordinated manner under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, with comprehensive efforts underway for the resettlement of affected people and handling of the aftermath.

The disaster occurred in a severely cold plateau region with steep valleys, variable weather, many surrounding glaciers and glacial lakes, as well as potential geological hazards, which poses significant challenges to emergency rescue operations.

The meeting emphasized that all relevant authorities and departments must take resolute and effective measures for the rescue-related work.

Search and rescue plans should be formulated in a scientific manner, and every effort should be made to search for and rescue all missing Chinese and foreign nationals, it stressed.

China will provide emergency aid to the disaster-hit area in Nepal and carry out international rescue cooperation, the meeting said.