Continuous heavy rainfall has caused 17 rivers across China to swell past their flood warning levels between 08:00 Saturday and 08:00 Sunday, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.
Sixteen rivers in Beijing, Hebei Province, Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the north, Gansu Province in the northwest, Fujian Province in the east, and Yunnan Province in the southwest have seen their water levels rise above the warning thresholds, by as much as 3.48 meters, the ministry said.
The Miyun Reservoir in the northeastern district of Miyun -- Beijing's largest -- has seen its heaviest water inflow since its construction was completed in 1959.
A section of the Yarkant River, the most flood-prone river in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has seen its water level crest above the flood stage due to faster snow melting caused high summer temperatures.
The Ministry of Water Resources has activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in six provincial-level regions including Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Fujian, Zhejiang and Shaanxi.
A Level-IV response is the lowest level in China's four-tier emergency response system.
17 rivers nationwide swell past flood warning levels
China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao outlined the key priorities of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which opened on Friday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.
In an interview with CGTN ahead of the two-day meeting, Wang said free trade, digital cooperation and green economy are high on the agenda of the meeting.
"The key areas include advancing regional economic integration and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) in strengthening digital cooperation and developing green economy. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and chaos, with intensified geopolitical instability. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism poses serious challenges to the international economic and trade order, disrupting global and Asia-Pacific development. Against this backdrop, all parties have higher expectations for this trade ministers' meeting, hoping that it can build consensus and deliver outcomes," Wang said.
This year marks China's third time hosting the APEC meetings and the 35th anniversary of its membership.
By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.
China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies. In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies such as Singapore and Peru.
The minister said that China has always been a firm supporter and an important contributor to APEC.
"We have actively shared our vast market and development opportunities with all parties. China's door to the world will only open wider and wider. Facing the common challenges, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, further deepen reform, expand high-standard opening-up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world with its new achievements in Chinese modernization," the minister said.
China's Commerce Minister outlines priorities for 32nd APEC trade ministers' meeting
