Premier Li Keqiang gave an instruction for a national conference on land restoration and forest fire prevention, which was held in Beijing on March 27.

He urged authorities to implement new development concepts, focus on supply-side structural reform and innovate a working mechanism.

To further promote land restoration, more voluntary tree planting activities should be organized, and key ecological projects on forestry should be expanded, according to the instruction.

“More efforts should be made to prevent forest fires,” the Premier said, adding that governments at all levels should fulfill their responsibilities and strengthen capabilities for emergency response.

Vice-Premier Wang Yang, chairman of the National Afforestation Environmental Protection Commission, attended the conference and delivered a speech.

He said that related departments should pay great attention to the ecological aspects of civilization, by constructing national parks and enhancing ecological systems such as forests, grasslands, farmlands, wetlands and deserts.

To stimulate public enthusiasm, green industries should be further developed, which is good for land restoration and can bring real benefits to the people at the same time.

“It is a critical period for fire prevention in forests and grasslands right now,” Wang said, adding that related departments should make full preparations to prevent any major fire disasters or casualties.

Fire forces should be mobilized and deployed in advance, with monitoring, early warning and emergency measures in place, and hidden risks eliminated in a timely manner, the vice-premier said.

In addition, to build a more professional fire force, more resources should be allocated into infrastructure construction and cutting-edge technologies and devices should be introduced, he added.