Government and Policy

Libyan case proves China's emergency capability

By Zhao Yinan (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-03-13 07:26

BEIJING - China spent at least 1 billion yuan ($152 million), or 28,000 yuan per evacuee, on the recent mass evacuation of its citizens from Libya, an official from the emergency management authority said on Saturday.

The evacuation, which helped 35,860 Chinese nationals return safely home, was a "living example" of the country's progressive capability in dealing with emergencies, said Zhao Hongyu, vice-inspector of the emergency management office under the State Council.

Related readings:  Countries reject military intervention in Libya  35,860 Chinese evacuated from Libya all back home  Chinese citizens continue to evacuate from Libya  Chinese evacuees from Libya arrive in Greece

Zhao added the current expense did not include the cost generated by follow-up operations.

For instance, a passenger liner rented from foreign companies costs about 700,000 yuan a day, he said.

Previously, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the government had organized 91 domestic chartered flights, 12 flights by military airplanes, five cargo ferries, one escort ship, as well as 35 rented foreign chartered flights, 11 voyages by foreign passenger liners and some 100 bus runs to transfer evacuees from the North African country.

Zhao made the remarks in a book release of China Emergency Management Report 2010, the country's first emergency management report, which reviewed major cases and the overall emergency management situation in 2009.

According to the report, 13 provinces and autonomous regions and 10 ministries and administrations under the State Council have established their emergency platforms, six years after the State Council called on local governments and departments to strengthen emergency management.

The report also said the country's emergency management capability was still challenged by "imbalanced development among different regions" and an "inadequate support system".

In addition, Zhao said some emergency plans were not feasible, and were "redundant in language and lacking in clear guidance for each related party to follow in case of an emergency".

Looking to this year, Zhao admitted the number of incidents was "on the rise", covering all the four types of emergencies - natural disasters, catastrophic accidents, public health emergencies and social security incidents - a classification used by the government.

The report included separate accounts of the first three kinds of emergency incidents, but failed to comment on the last - social security incidents - for "confidentiality concerns", described by the book's chief editor, Wei Liqun, as a "defective point".

The report was published in the wake of President Hu Jintao's recent speech on social management, in which he urged officials to improve social management capabilities and solve major problems that would damage the harmony and stability of society.