China urges continuous flood control efforts as rainfall persists across country

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

Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), held talks with speaker of the Finnish parliament Jussi Halla-aho in Beijing on Monday, to discuss relations between their two countries.

Noting this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Finland, Zhao said China stands ready to work together with Finland to deliver on the important consensus reached between the top leaders of the two countries, and promote continuous development of the China-Finland future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership.

China is further deepening reform comprehensively and expanding high-standard opening up, which will bring new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, Zhao said, noting China is willing to make joint efforts with Finland to expand win-win cooperation and cement public support for bilateral relations.

China hopes that Finland will continue to play a positive role in boosting mutual promotion and common development of China-Finland relations and of relations between China and the European Union (EU), Zhao said.

Zhao said that the NPC is ready to carry forward the traditional friendship and implement close exchange and cooperation with the Finnish parliament.

As China and Finland each have their own characteristics in national governance and development concepts, the national legislatures of the two countries can learn from each other and play their legislative and supervisory roles to create a sound and stable legal environment for practical cooperation between the two countries, he said.

For his part, Halla-aho said that Finland stays committed to the one-China policy, noting the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

On the basis of mutual respect and trust, Finland is willing to promote practical bilateral cooperation, safeguard free trade and tackle common challenges, said Halla-aho, noting that the Finnish parliament hopes for enhanced exchange with China's NPC, so as to play a positive role in deepening the relations between Finland and China.

China's top legislator holds talks with Finland's parliament speaker on relations