BEIJING -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has urged efforts to enhance the capacity to prevent and respond to natural disasters and effectively safeguard people's lives and property.

Xi made the remarks while presiding over a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Tuesday.

The importance of disaster prevention, mitigation and relief work must be fully understood from a strategic perspective of ensuring both high-quality development and high-level security, Xi said.

To do a good job in such work, it is imperative to uphold the Party's overall leadership, put people and their lives first, respect the laws of nature, prioritize prevention, push forward reform and innovation, apply systems thinking, and promote public participation, Xi said.

He stressed that reducing disaster risks and minimizing losses hinge on prevention before disasters occur, adding that safety requirements must be integrated into territorial space planning and construction planning, and that the safety standards for critical infrastructure in major cities and disaster-prone areas should be raised reasonably.

Xi called for continuous work to improve the country's capacity to handle major disasters and catastrophes, such as strengthening monitoring and early warning systems and refining emergency response plans.

Stressing the need to strengthen scientific and technological support and legal safeguards for disaster response, Xi urged efforts to drive technological and industrial innovation in the emergency management sector.

Xi also called for improving grassroots emergency rescue systems and raising public awareness and preparedness for disasters.