Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu called for greater efforts to fight floods and droughts Monday at a meeting held by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu (C) addresses a meeting held by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters in Beijing, capital of China, on Aug. 24, 2009, calling for greater efforts to fight floods and droughts. [Xinhua]

Hui said governments at all levels should place priority on ensuring people's safety and taking care of people in disaster-hit regions.

Local governments were urged to take measures to combat droughts and floods in major grain production bases and to step up monitoring of freak weather.

A severe drought has affected north China since late July as a result of insufficient rainfall and continued high temperatures, while heavy rains and typhoons have battered some other parts of the country.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2009)