Torrential rainfalls swept across central Chinese provinces of Henan and Hubei on Monday, forcing local authorities to urgently transfer residents and rescue the affected people and infrastructure.
The round of strong summer rainfalls has caused five deaths and one person missing in Xixia County in Henan's Nanyang City, the local emergency response headquarters said Tuesday.
Heavy downpours with total precipitation of 225.3 millimeters in two townships triggered a sudden surge in the water level in the downstream of a local river on Monday, damaging infrastructure and leaving some residents trapped.
Following the flooding, local authorities immediately organized responders to carry out rescue operations. Further search and rescue efforts are still underway.
Torrential rains also hit many areas in Hubei on Monday, especially in the mountainous Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, where seven counties experienced heavy rain, according to the provincial meteorological observatory on Tuesday.
The weather department said that the rain weakened in western Hubei during the daytime on Tuesday, while some areas in the southwestern part experienced heavy rain or even torrential rain, accompanied by short-duration strong precipitation.
Xianfeng County was the place most severely affected by this round of heavy rainfall in Enshi, with the total precipitation exceeding 350 millimeters in 12 hours. The extremely heavy rainstorm caused waterlogging in the center of the county and flooded some buildings.
As of 13:00 on Tuesday, more than 18,000 residents were relocated to safe places due to the rainfall. Local authorities also closed schools for one day.
Local People's Armed Forces Department has also responded quickly by dispatching more than 240 servicemen to help transfer affected people and materials and drain the accumulated water in various locations across Xianfeng County.
As of Tuesday evening, the armed forces have successfully evacuated over 800 people, rescued 7.5 tons of materials, cleared over 1,000 cubic meters of mud, and unblocked over 100 drainage channels.
Meanwhile, mud-clearing work is underway as the floodwaters recede. A total of 16,000 Party members and officials have joined the efforts. Over 200 sets of equipment such as drainage vehicles and pumps have been immediately allocated to support the relief operations.
In response to the flooding in central China, the National Committee for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief, the Ministry of Emergency Management, and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration allocated 12,000 relief items to Henan and Hubei, including folding beds and blankets, which are designed to help local authorities manage the emergency relocation of affected residents and disaster relief work.
Relief work underway in rainstorm-hit Henan, Hubei
The statement of U.S. President Donald Trump highlighted the urgency for reforming global governance, according to a poll from China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Friday.
"I don't need international law," said Trump during an with The New York Times this week, days after the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the forcible seizure of President Nicolas Maduro. This statement perfectly captures Washington's unilateral and hegemonic trajectory. The New York Times observed that Trump's assessment of his own freedom to use any instrument of military, economic or political power to cement American supremacy was the most blunt acknowledgment yet of his world-view.
In a global public opinion poll conducted by CGTN, 93.5 percent of respondents expressed belief that the U.S., by pursuing unilateralism, has placed itself in opposition to the international community. Also, 91.7 percent think that reforming the global governance system is an urgent priority.
On Wednesday the U.S. announced its withdrawal from 66 international organizations, setting a new record for its retreat from multilateral commitments. These organizations span climate, energy, and global governance, among other fields. Trump argues that their operations run counter to U.S. national interests, sovereignty, and economic prosperity.
In response, 84.1 percent of respondents were not surprised by the U.S. move. Meanwhile, 88.9 percent viewed it as another radical step under the "America First" doctrine. In addition, 93 percent believed the U.S. approach of using international systems when beneficial and abandoning them when not severely undermines the existing international order and global fairness and justice. Also, 88.3 percent noted that the U.S. withdrawals once again expose it as an irresponsible major power, dealing a significant blow to its international reputation. Furthermore, 88.5 percent believe the U.S. withdrawals reflect its negative attitude toward global governance.
The recent episode of unilateral and bullying actions by the U.S. government has sparked widespread alarm and discontent within the international community. Washington's adherence to the law of the jungle where "might is right" is severely undermining the global governance system. In the poll, 89.9 percent of respondents agreed that multilateralism, based on coordination and cooperation, remains key to addressing current global governance challenges. Meanwhile, 94.4 percent believe it is crucial to advance the reform of the global governance system, uphold international rule of law, and enhance the effectiveness of multilateral mechanisms. Moreover, 90 percent think major powers should shoulder greater responsibility and play a more constructive role in promoting global governance reform.
The poll was conducted across CGTN platforms in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian languages, attracting 24,000 responses within 24 hours.
Trump says 'I don't need international law,' highlighting urgency for reforming global governance: CGTN poll
