Flood-hit China expands social security net as extreme rain takes toll
China has expanded the economic safeguards for segments of its population affected by flood control schemes in times of extreme rainfall, including pledges of direct compensation from the central government and payments for livestock losses.
In China, diverting flood-waters to areas next to rivers is a major step in managing downstream flooding. As extreme rainfall grows in frequency, China is increasingly utilizing such areas, some of which have been unused until now and have been populated by farms, croplands and even residential buildings, stoking social tensions.
According to revised rules on compensation related to flood diversions released late on Friday, the central government will now bear 70 percent of all compensation funds, with local governments responsible for the rest. Previously, the ratio was to be decided based on actual economic losses and the fiscal situation of local governments.
Livestock and poultry that cannot be relocated in time before the arrival of diverted flood-waters will also be included in the compensation scheme for the first time. Previously, only the loss of working animals could be claimed for compensation.
In the summer of 2023, almost 1 million people in Hebei, a province on the doorstep of Beijing, were relocated after record rain forced authorities to divert water from swollen rivers to some populated areas for storage, triggering anger over the homes and farms sacrificed to save the Chinese capital.
China currently has 98 designated flood diversion areas spanning major river basins including the Yangtze River basin, home to a third of the country's population. During the 2023 Hebei floods, eight flood storage areas were used.
Since the start of the East Asia monsoon in early June, precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze has been up to two times higher than usual, officials from the China Meterological Administration told reporters on Friday.
In other parts of China, daily rainfall measured by 30 meteorological stations in provinces such as Hubei and Guizhou broke records for the month of June, they said.
Guizhou was the focal point of China's flood alleviation efforts this week, with one of its cities hit by flooding on a scale that meteorologists said could only happen once in 50 years, and at a speed that shocked its 300,000 residents.
That prompted Beijing to issue pledges on Thursday to move vulnerable populations and industries to low-flood areas and allocate more space for flood diversion.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Flood-hit China expands social security net as extreme rain takes toll
China has expanded the economic safeguards for segments of its population affected by flood control schemes in times of extreme rainfall, including pledges of direct compensation from the central government and payments for livestock losses. In China, diverting flood-waters to areas next to rivers is a major step in managing downstream flooding. As extreme rainfall grows in frequency, China is increasingly utilizing such areas, some of which have been unused until now and have been populated by farms, croplands and even residential buildings, stoking social tensions. According to revised rules on compensation related to flood diversions released late on Friday, the central government will now bear 70 percent of all compensation funds, with local governments responsible for the rest. Previously, the ratio was to be decided based on actual economic losses and the fiscal situation of local governments. Livestock and poultry that cannot be relocated in time before the arrival of diverted flood-waters will also be included in the compensation scheme for the first time. Previously, only the loss of working animals could be claimed for compensation. In the summer of 2023, almost 1 million people in Hebei, a province on the doorstep of Beijing, were relocated after record rain forced authorities to divert water from swollen rivers to some populated areas for storage, triggering anger over the homes and farms sacrificed to save the Chinese capital. China currently has 98 designated flood diversion areas spanning major river basins including the Yangtze River basin, home to a third of the country's population. During the 2023 Hebei floods, eight flood storage areas were used. Since the start of the East Asia monsoon in early June, precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze has been up to two times higher than usual, officials from the China Meterological Administration told reporters on Friday. In other parts of China, daily rainfall measured by 30 meteorological stations in provinces such as Hubei and Guizhou broke records for the month of June, they said. Guizhou was the focal point of China's flood alleviation efforts this week, with one of its cities hit by flooding on a scale that meteorologists said could only happen once in 50 years, and at a speed that shocked its 300,000 residents. That prompted Beijing to issue pledges on Thursday to move vulnerable populations and industries to low-flood areas and allocate more space for flood diversion.
Al Arabiya
4 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Canada orders China's Hikvision to close Canadian operations
The Canadian government has ordered Chinese surveillance camera manufacturer Hikvision to cease operations in Canada over national security concerns, Industry Minister Melanie Joly said late on Friday. Hikvision, also known as Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co, has faced numerous sanctions and restrictions by Canada's neighbor, the United States, over the past five and a half years for the firm's dealings and the use of its equipment in China's Xinjiang region, where rights groups have documented abuses against the Uyghur population and other Muslim communities. 'The government has determined that Hikvision Canada Inc's continued operations in Canada would be injurious to Canada's national security,' Joly said on X, adding that the decision was taken after a multi-step review of information provided by Canada's security and intelligence community. Her statement did not mention China or Xinjiang or specify how Hikvision would harm Canada's national security. Hikvision's Canadian and US operations, the parent company and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company, which calls itself the world's biggest maker of video surveillance equipment, said last year it had exited contracts in Xinjiang through five subsidiaries that were added to a US trade blacklist in 2023. The Chinese government has denied all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang and has criticized or targeted companies for removing Xinjiang firms from their supply chains. Canada said last year it was reviewing an application to impose sanctions against Chinese surveillance equipment companies, including Hikvision, after rights advocates alleged the firms were aiding repression and high-tech surveillance in Xinjiang. Joly said Canada was also banning the purchase of Hikvison's products in government departments and agencies, and reviewing existing properties to ensure that legacy Hikvision products were not used in the future. She said the order does not extend to the company's affiliate operations outside Canada but 'strongly' encouraged Canadians 'to take note of this decision and make their own decisions accordingly.'
Al Arabiya
21 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Nike Shares Soar After a Production Shift Away From China, But Warns of a $1 Billion Tariff Hit
Nike's shares jumped at the opening bell Friday after the company said it's shifting some production away from China. But it also warned that tariffs imposed by the Trump administration will cost it about $1 billion before it makes internal changes, which include surgical price increases in the US starting this fall. Nike is not the first retail company to warn of price hikes when students are heading back to school. Walmart said last month that its customers will start to see higher prices this month and next when the back-to-school shopping season goes into high gear. Walmart also cited higher costs from tariffs. Nike is shifting production to avert looming tariffs in China. Production in China represents about 16 percent of the footwear that Nike imports into the US, Chief Financial Officer Matthew Friend said during a conference call late Thursday. That production will be cut to the high-single-digit range by the end of fiscal 2026 as Nike shifts production elsewhere, he said. President Donald Trump and his Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said late Thursday that the US and China have signed a 'trade agreement,' but provided no details. Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and Puma were among 76 companies that signed on to a letter in April addressed to Trump asking for a footwear exemption from reciprocal tariffs. The letter warned tariffs would 'become a major impact at the cash register for every family.' Nike said that it will begin to implement 'surgical price increases' as part of its 'regular approach to seasonal planning' beginning this fall, Friend said. The potential for higher prices from Trump's tariffs have raised alarms for families, notably those who already spend a good chunk of money on equipment needed to participate in sports. Also on Thursday, Nike reported a quarterly profit of $211 million, or 14 cents per share. Revenue totaled $11.1 billion. Both edged out Wall Street projections. Nike is already facing a pullback in spending by Americans who have grown anxious about the direction of the US economy. 'While it's still the most significant brand in sportswear, a boredom factor seems to have settled over the Nike brand,' wrote Neil Saunders, Managing Director of GlobalData. 'In markets like China, where overall market growth has slowed a little, Nike is also on the back foot for similar reasons,' Saunders wrote. 'We also see some anti-US brand sentiment creeping in, which is unhelpful and difficult to resolve.' Shares of Nike, based in Beaverton, Oregon, jumped 15 percent at the opening bell Friday.
