BEIJING, Sept. 1 -- China's Ministry of Transport has launched a Level-II emergency response to Typhoon Saola and Typhoon Haikui, which might hit the country's eastern and southern coastal areas over the weekend.

The ministry has deployed 16 high-power rescue-and-salvage ships, 10 rescue helicopters and 12 rescue teams as part of its emergency response.

China has a four-tier emergency response system for typhoons, with Level I being the highest response level.