Torrential rain lashed multiple cities in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region over the weekend, triggering severe flooding that trapped numerous residents in regional capital Nanning and prompted an emergency response from firefighters.
The floodwaters reached depths of nearly 1.8 meters at a residential complex in Nanning City and submerged the ground floor of a building, trapping 12 people in their homes.
Firefighters used rubber boats to navigate the floodwaters, maneuvering around floating debris to reach the stranded individuals. After nearly two hours, all 12 were safely evacuated to safety.
Elsewhere in the city's Xingning District, a car stalled in 1.5 meter high waters under a bridge, stranding two people on the vehicle's roof. With fire trucks unable to access the area due to complex underwater conditions, firefighters deployed rubber boats to swiftly rescue the trapped pair.
In Nanning's Xixiangtang district, a factory building was submerged under 1.5 meters of floodwater, trapping 17 people, some seeking safety on roof beams. Firefighters used ladders and rubber boats to evacuate the stranded group to safety within half an hour.
The heavy downpour also caused severe flooding in a rural area administered by Nanning. Rapid currents submerged most roads up to knee level. Firefighters waded through the waters to reach stranded villagers and evacuated 20 people in groups.
Guangxi's Qinzhou City issued a red alert for rainstorms on Sunday, the most severe in China's four-tier warning system. According to data provided by the meteorological department, the 24-hour cumulative rainfall of 610.5 millimeters broke the city's historical record.
The maximum rainfall occurred in the city's Longmengang Town on Sunday, where meteorological data also showed a record-breaking 189.6 millimeters of rain fell within just one hour early this morning.
The intense rainfall triggered flooding that trapped people in shops, warehouses and homes across the city. As of 15:00 Sunday, over 210 stranded residents had been evacuated by firefighters and emergency crews.
Qinzhou has since lifted its red alert.
Firefighters rescue dozens from floods after record rainfall in Guangxi
The ultimate goal of UN Security Council reform is to change the situation where developed countries are over-represented, a Chinese envoy said Thursday.
Security Council reform must focus on enhancing the representation and voice of developing countries and small and medium-sized countries with independent foreign policies, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said at a UN General Assembly meeting on Security Council reform.
"The Security Council, as the core of the collective security mechanism, must reflect the realities of international politics and give more developing countries and small and medium-sized countries with independent foreign policies the opportunity to take part in Security Council decision-making. In particular, we must redress the historical injustice suffered by Africa and make priority and special arrangements for Africa's demands. The ultimate goal is to change the situation where the composition of the Security Council is imbalanced between the North and the South, where a single bloc has long dominated, and where developed countries are over-represented," Fu noted.
Security Council reform is a systemic project. Before the parties reach a clear consensus, any attempt to hastily adopt a "consolidated model", push for the launch of text-based negotiations, or even impose artificial timelines and take a "step-by-step" or "piecemeal" approach will only aggravate differences and disputes among the parties, which is not conducive to the long-term development of the United Nations and the common interests of member states, he said.
He also emphasized that the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) is the only legitimate platform for member states to discuss Security Council reform, and its role is irreplaceable. China supports all parties in continuing dialogue and consultation on this platform to build consensus, and firmly opposes any attempt to launch an alternative platform, he said.
Within the IGN framework, China stands ready to continue to work with all parties, respect one another, and engage in candid exchanges and consultations on an equal footing, to ensure that Security Council reform moves in a direction conducive to the common interests of member states and the sound development of the United Nations' cause, and to make positive contributions to building a more just and equitable global governance system, said Fu.
UN Security Council reform should address over-representation of developed countries: Chinese envoy
