Efforts should be made to pursue safe development and safeguard the security of people’s lives and property, with accountability measures in place, State Councilor Wang Yong said.

Wang made the remarks at a national event focused on security publicity and consultation in Beijing on June 16.

He stressed putting the security of people’s lives first and doing a better job in achieving safe production through a strict responsibility system, as well as enhancing publicity and education to increase the public’s safety awareness.

Precautions should be taken to guard against various major and catastrophic incidents, Wang said, calling on related departments to draw lessons from previous incidents, and pay more attention to preventing and defusing security risks in the face of the current situation for safe production.

Emphasizing efforts to ensure security in key links, he urged comprehensive hazard screening, stringent oversight and law enforcement, and better science-based protection.

Wang also learned about security precautions taken by enterprises and their publicity, training and education campaigns, and inspected safety operations and emergency drills on building construction and urban gas, water and electricity.