China mulls early earthquake warning networks

BEIJING - Officials with China's earthquake administrations on Monday said they are considering four new earthquake early warning networks in seismically active regions.

According to a plan unveiled at a Beijing meeting of heads of earthquake administrations, the four new systems are planned for southeastern coastal areas, northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the "north-south seismic belt" which covers Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, and the regions surrounding Beijing.

The project still awaits approval from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). If approved, work will be completed in five years.

Meanwhile, construction of an experimental site for earthquake forecasting in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces has begun, according to China Earthquake Administration (CEA) head Chen Jianmin.