China, EU team to manage emergencies

China and the European Union are envisioning more cooperation in the field of emergency management, an official said on June 15.

China is willing to learn from the EU to promote its capacity to cope with emergencies arising from urbanization and industrialization, said Li Jianhua, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Governance, at a launching ceremony of a China-EU disaster risk-management project.

The project, based on an agreement signed in 2009 between China and the EU to broaden cooperation in emergency management, aims to improve mutual capability to deal with emergencies, such as natural disasters and production safety accidents.

Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, said emergency management is an issue challenging developed and developing countries alike, and the EU is keen to see more interaction with China.