全國政協委員、中國保監會副主席魏迎寧8日表示，2008年我國發生了兩場罕見的自然災害，災難造成的慘重損失給人們留下了沉痛記憶，也對加強巨災風險管理提出新的要求。他認為，建立巨災保險制度已經成了一項迫切任務。他指出，建立巨災保險制度，利用巨災保險基金的長期資金積累，以及巨災再保險分擔機制，可以快速籌集大量資金，促進災后重建。

The country's current insurance coverage is incapable of offering adequate compensation for losses from catastrophes.

China should establish catastrophe insurance as soon as possible, Wei Yingning, vice chairman of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission said here Sunday.

The country's current insurance coverage is incapable of offering adequate compensation for losses from catastrophes, said Wei, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

About 30 percent of losses from catastrophes in developed countries are covered by insurers, and the proportion is lower than five percent in China, Wei said in a speech at a plenary meeting of the top political advisory body.

Huge losses in the rare blizzard in south China last winter and the massive May 12 earthquake in Sichuan Province added to the country's fiscal burden, he said.

The two disasters incurred losses of more than 150 billion yuan(21.9 billion U.S. dollars) and more than 800 billion yuan, respectively.

The State Council, China's cabinet, should set up a joint team to lead the catastrophe insurance work, he suggested.

The catastrophe insurance should be framed in the country's disaster prevention and response system with pledged support in subsidies and favorable taxes, he added.

Both state and private capital should be mobilized to support the catastrophe insurance fund, the political advisor said.

Commercial insurers should be encouraged to offer compensation for catastrophe losses, he said.

"However, the government should step in when losses are beyond the capabilities of insurers."

(Xinhua)

Vocabulary:

catastrophe insurance: 巨災保險

（英語點津 Helen 編輯）