Speaking at a national conference in Beijing on Jan 7, Vice-Premier Wang Yang stressed increased response work and better efforts for quake prevention and disaster reduction.

To prevent earthquakes and reduce disasters, government at all levels should coordinate with each other and follow the guideline of prevention first, and combine their relief work, said the vice-premier.

He said although the country’s quake monitoring work has been increased in recent years, China is still an earthquake-prone country, so the prevention and disaster reduction work cannot be treated lightly.

He also asked to inspect and reinforce the construction, key infrastructures and lifeline projects in urban areas, accelerate the construction of quake-proof houses in rural areas, and increase awareness in quake prevention and ability to deal with disasters.