China Launches High-Level Emergency Response to Rasuwa-Gyirong Disaster, Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing Deployed to Frontline

Dragon Media News Desk

China has activated a high-level emergency response following the severe floods and landslides affecting Nepal’s Rasuwa district and the Gyirong border area in the Xizang Autonomous Region, mobilizing central government agencies, professional rescue forces, military units, emergency funds and relief supplies.

Following instructions from President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, Zhang Guoqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, has been deployed to the disaster area with relevant officials to inspect and direct rescue and emergency-management operations.

According to Chinese official information, the disaster struck the Gyirong Port area on Wednesday morning, disrupting roads, communications and electricity supplies and leaving some people feared missing. Authorities are continuing to assess the full extent of the damage.

President Xi instructed authorities to give top priority to searching for missing people and rescuing those in danger. He called for the immediate evacuation of people from high-risk areas, prompt medical treatment for the injured and every possible effort to minimize casualties.

Xi also emphasized continuous disaster monitoring, stronger early-warning systems and scientifically organized rescue operations. Authorities were instructed to identify hidden dangers and take precautions against secondary disasters, including further landslides and flooding.

Premier Li Qiang separately ordered authorities to quickly determine the number of missing and affected people, mobilize adequate rescue forces and relocate people in danger to safer areas in an orderly manner.

Li also instructed China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen communication and coordination with Nepal, ensure timely information sharing and properly handle cross-border emergency cooperation. The move underscores the importance Beijing has attached to coordination with Nepal in responding to a disaster affecting the border region.

Following the directives from China’s central leadership, the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a major disaster-relief response and dispatched a working group to the affected area.

Hundreds of professional rescuers and engineering personnel have been mobilized, including teams from China’s national fire and rescue system and specialized engineering rescue organizations. Communication, search, road-clearing and other emergency equipment has also been sent to the disaster zone.

China has arranged tens of thousands of relief items from central emergency reserves, including tents, heating equipment, clothing, bedding, folding beds and moisture-resistant materials. The supplies are intended to support displaced and affected residents and maintain basic living conditions.

The central government has also allocated 120 million yuan in natural-disaster relief funds for the Gyirong emergency. The funding will support search and rescue, evacuation and resettlement, risk reduction and emergency restoration of damaged infrastructure.

The People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police have also joined the response. Military units in Xizang activated emergency rescue plans, while command teams, engineering personnel and specialized equipment were mobilized for operations in the affected area.

The scale of China’s response extends from the country’s top political leadership to emergency-management authorities, military and paramilitary forces, financial agencies and foreign-affairs institutions. The rapid mobilization reflects the priority being given to protecting lives, restoring essential services and bringing the situation under control.

Gyirong-Rasuwagadhi is one of the most important land routes connecting Nepal and China, supporting bilateral trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. Damage to roads, communications and other infrastructure on both sides of the border therefore has wider implications for Nepal-China connectivity.

On the Nepali side, severe flooding in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems has caused casualties and extensive damage to bridges, roads, hydropower projects, settlements and other infrastructure. Nepal’s security agencies, medical teams and government authorities have also been mobilized for search, rescue and relief operations.

The Rasuwa-Gyirong disaster has once again highlighted the vulnerability of the Himalayan border region to extreme weather and geological hazards. At the same time, China’s rapid deployment of political leadership, professional rescue teams, military resources, relief supplies and emergency financing demonstrates a large-scale state response to the crisis.

Beyond immediate rescue and relief, the disaster also underlines the importance of stronger Nepal-China cooperation on cross-border river monitoring, real-time hydrological and weather information sharing, early-warning systems and long-term protection of critical infrastructure along the Gyirong-Rasuwagadhi corridor.

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