China's Ministry of Emergency Management on Sunday called on authorities to stay on guard against floods as significant rainfall is forecast to continue in vulnerable areas in the coming days.
While the overall precipitation in the country will weaken over the next three days, measurable rainfall is still expected in the northeastern region, the Yellow River and Huaihe River basins, and southwest China's Yunnan Province, according to the ministry.
The flood control situation remains challenging, the ministry said, noting that water levels remain above the warning marks in the Liaohe River and a section of the Songhuajiang River, both of which are in the country's northeast.
Floodwater in this river section running through Songyuan City, Jilin Province is continuing to rise, with the peak expected to arrive on Tuesday.
Surrounded by the Yinma River and the Songhua River, the 10 km Tanggu dam in Jilin's Dehui City is facing piping risk in one section stretching roughly a kilometer.
"We are driving piles into the earth and using sand bags to protect the dam against floodwater. Supplies and materials have been prepared as well to guard against piping risk and prevent downstream slope from moving," said Yu Tao, a technician with the Dahui Hydrological Bureau.
The Wusuli River at Hutou Station in Heilongjiang Province is also experiencing flooding. The local hydrological bureau issued an orange alert for flooding on Sunday.
Meanwhile, rainstorms started to batter Yingkou City, Liaoning Province on Sunday. Strong winds and heavy rainfall have heavily impacted port operations. Local maritime safety administration launched a Level-IV emergency response to extreme weather and undertook temporary traffic control at noon, suspending all ships at the port and requiring fishing vessels and unpowered vessels to take shelter.
Flooding was deadly in Kangding, southwest China's Sichuan Province, where a flash flood and mudslide struck the city at about 03:30 on Saturday, toppling a tunnel bridge and destroying homes in a village, according to local authorities.
The bridge collapse caused four vehicles to fall into river, with one person rescued and hospitalized, while two were confirmed dead and 10 others remained missing as of 14:30 on Sunday. Six people in nearby Ridi Village were killed, and 11 are missing.
A large unmanned aerial vehicle has been dispatched to the disaster-stricken area in Kangding to provide reconnaissance and communications support, according to the ministry.
Along with the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, the ministry held joint discussions with meteorological, water resources and natural resources authorities on Sunday and arranged flood control work in such key regions as Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hunan and Sichuan via video.
The ministry also called for intensified drainage work as well as expedient post-disaster construction.
China urges continuous flood control efforts as rainfall persists across country
An official with the World Economic Forum (WEF) has stressed the importance of establishing an adaptable mechanism for dialogue and cooperation that allows the global economy to fully benefit from the development potential of new technologies while managing the associated risks.
Mirek Dusek, one of WEF's managing directors, was speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting, which commenced in Davos, Switzerland on Monday.
The five-day event has gathered around 3,000 participants from various regions and industries around the world under the theme "Collaboration for the Intelligent Age," highlighting the need for greater collaboration against a backdrop of rapid technological advancements and global divisions.
In an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Tuesday, Dusek said WEF is monitoring "two big forces" they believe are changing the world economy.
"On one hand, we are living through quite a unique time in terms of technological advancement and innovation. But on the other hand, of course, we are also tracking forces of fragmentation. We are seeing a more competitive geopolitical landscape, shifting value chains and supply chains, and of course, also social polarization in certain societies around the world," he said.
With the current uncertainties in the world, Dusek stressed the importance of building a suitable platform for dialogue, and ensuring that such a mechanisms is adaptable to respond to the various challenges.
"Given the trends that we are seeing in the global economy, in international relations, that function of bridging and dialogue could not be more important. It's very important that we have mechanisms where we can have dialogue and cooperation, and of course, we also need to be on the front foot of thinking, 'Okay, how do we make sure that the collaborative mechanisms are fit for the 21st century?'" he said, adding that this will be one of the focuses of the current Davos meeting.
Dusek also emphasized China's vital role in promoting global economic growth and technological development, describing the country as a "key actor" in helping the world transition to a new era of tech-driven development.
"Everyone understands that we need to be on our front foot, really thinking creatively around how do we relaunch growth that is inclusive, sustainable. But how do we relaunch growth in this new situation for the world economy? And China plays a very important role in that endeavor, on development, on trade, of course, as well. On technology, I mentioned the theme, 'The Intelligent Age'. What we are trying to communicate with that is that there is a huge opportunity around some of these technologies. What is quite special is that it's not only one technology, but we are seeing, at this moment, whole sets of technologies that are going to market and exponentially changing industry and economy. If we have this huge opportunity around these technologies, how do we design [not only] our dialogue mechanisms, but also our collaborative mechanisms to be able to harness these technologies for the benefit of the world economy while taking care of the risks," he said.
WEF official calls for mechanisms to foster dialogue in new tech era, boost world economy