BEIJING -- Senior Chinese officials have called for intensified efforts to secure workplace safety and prevent forest and grassland fires.

A national conference on workplace safety and forest and grassland fire prevention, held in Beijing on Thursday, emphasized the need to give priority to fire prevention in crowded places, high-rise buildings and self-built houses used for business purposes. It also ordered comprehensive inspections in key industries to identify and rectify any risks and crack down on illegal and non-compliant practices.

The conference particularly stressed safety control measures for the transportation industry. It also noted the importance of managing fireworks and firecrackers to ensure the safety of people and protect properties, especially during the Spring Festival period.

The meeting further highlighted the need for efforts aimed at enhancing monitoring and early warning systems for forest and grassland fires, and emphasized strict control of fire sources and the removal of fire hazards.

Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made a speech at the conference, which was presided over by Wang Xiaohong, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and a state councilor.