China to expand collaboration in meteorological early warning

China aims to open new paths to international collaboration in meteorological early warning, providing Chinese technological expertise in disaster prevention and risk reduction, a senior official of the China Meteorological Administration said on Wednesday.

Chen Zhenlin, head of CMA, said China made substantial strides in advancing international meteorological cooperation last year, unveiled its early warning system at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November.

Solutions have been deployed for testing in countries such as Pakistan, Ethiopia and the Solomon Islands, Chen said when delivering a report at the 2025 National Meteorological Work Conference, which was held in Beijing to outline the country's meteorological achievements in 2024 and emphasize key goals for this year.

Meteorological early warning services of China have also been integrated into the China-Africa Cooperation Forum's green development partnership. The president of the Maldives and the prime minister of Sri Lanka had visited CMA to express their intent for further collaboration, Chen said.

China's role in global early warning systems was further endorsed by the World Meteorological Organization, with its secretary-general praising China's "people-orientated" approach to meteorology as a model for the world, he added.

Meanwhile, Chen underscored that the complex global climate situation has posed risks to economic and social development worldwide, with the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events continuing to rise.

In 2024, countries including the United States and Spain faced catastrophic weather disasters, resulting in significant loss of life. Super Typhoon Yagi caused economic damage to China that was more than six times that of Typhoon Rammasun a decade ago.

Citing Swiss Re, a world-leading reinsurance provider, Chen said global economic losses due to natural disasters last year would surpass $310 billion.

To tackle these challenges, China will build more efficient and inclusive early warning platforms to improve capabilities of global monitoring and forecast, he said, adding that China aims to offer comprehensive disaster prevention and reduction solutions in meteorology.

This year, China will continue to expand its meteorological cooperation with key regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia, with a major focus on the construction of cloud-based early warning systems to support the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

It will continue to strengthen ties with the United States, European nations and international organizations, calling for the international standardization of meteorological technologies particularly in sectors such as artificial intelligence and early warning, Chen said.