Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday called on local governments to put every effort into flood-triggered natural disaster prevention and emergency response and adhere to a people-centered approach to disaster relief, as south China is experiencing an intense flood season. 

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark while giving instructions on flood control and disaster relief work.

Rainstorm alerts have been issued for 26 consecutive days in June. According to official data, as of June 26, weeks of torrential rain and heavy flooding have affected more than 13.7 million people in 26 provincial-level regions, including Guangxi, Guizhou, Guangdong, Hunan and Jiangxi, and more than 744,000 people have been relocated. 

The severe flooding has caused economic losses of 27.8 billion yuan (more than 3.9 billion U.S. dollars).

Xi asked local governments and relevant departments to "put people and their lives front and center" and properly resettle and relocate people affected by the flood. 

Xi said China will enter a typhoon season soon and the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and other related departments should strengthen coordination and guide local governments to carry out natural disaster prevention, response and relief work.

(Cover: A photo taken on June 8, 2020, shows a house ruined by floodwater along Yulong River in Yangshuo County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. /Xinhua)