China reviews draft emergency management rules

The draft of the emergency response and management law was presented for a second review at the seventh session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, aimed at improving national early warning systems.

The proposed law also aims to protect the rights of various groups in emergency response management, enhance emergency response capabilities and improve systems related to the release of emergency information, according to a report on Monday regarding the modifications drafted by the Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC.

Compared with the version reviewed in 2021, the key modifications of the new draft include clarifying the law's role as a fundamental and comprehensive legal framework for emergency response.

The Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC, together with the ministries of justice and emergency management, suggested that the general rules of the law should add provisions on setting up regional collaborative response systems.

The law should clarify that decisions, orders and measures of the command organs shall have the same effect as those issued by the people's government at the same level, the report said.

The law also needs to improve provisions on managing emergency funds and relief materials, the report said.

The report suggested that the provisions on emergency reporting, early warning and information release should be improved, that governments support media supervision, and that the law should specify the content and channels for issuing warnings.

It called for enhancing emergency response capabilities, and improving the systems for stockpiling and guaranteeing emergency rescue materials.

It encouraged social forces to take part in emergency response including transportation and catastrophe risk insurance. Competent departments can make public the guidelines and recommendations for the reserve of emergency self-rescue materials, and neighborhood committees, village committees and other grassroots organizations shall immediately organize the people to assist each other during rescue.

It also required the priority protection of special groups and the protection of personal information of citizens.

Emergency incidents mentioned in the law include natural disasters, accidents, public health incidents and social security incidents.