China Takes Disaster Warning Technology to the World

Beijing (GNP): China is presenting technology as its main contribution to global disaster governance as the world marks the 37th International Day for Disaster Reduction on 13 October 2026. This year’s theme, “Building Safe and Resilient Homes”, stresses resilience at household and community level and the need for stronger prevention, preparedness and emergency response.

China’s approach starts with early warning. Its earthquake early warning public service system now covers over 400 million users, according to data released by the China Earthquake Networks Center in July. More than 228 million of them are mobile phone users who receive direct alerts.

The system is now being upgraded with artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to improve the speed and accuracy of warnings. AI is also speeding up the response after a quake. The Earthquake Science International Data Center says the “Diting” seismic wave large model automatically identified 452 pre-earthquake events and 429 aftershocks during the magnitude-6.8 earthquake in Dingri County, in China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, in January 2025.

Beyond its borders, China has built a framework for sharing this capacity. The Belt and Road International Cooperation Mechanism for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management was established in November 2023. It has since grown from 27 countries to 34 countries and three international organisations. Its council meeting in November 2025 noted that cooperation results now benefit more than 80 countries across five continents.

Satellites extend that reach further. According to the China Meteorological Administration, China’s Fengyun meteorological satellites served 133 countries and regions in 2025. The Fengyun international emergency service network now has 37 members, and its annual international service data exceeds 50 terabytes.

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Remote sensing adds another layer. The China National Space Administration said in December 2025 that China carried out 159 remote sensing emergency monitoring operations in 2025. These included over 5,700 satellite imaging tasks and more than 1,600 scenes of data provided to foreign countries.

The same expertise has gone into major projects overseas. China has provided earthquake early warning and safety assessment services for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, the China-Myanmar Oil and Gas Pipeline and Pakistan’s Gwadar Port. Chinese rescue teams have also joined major international relief operations, including after the earthquakes in Türkiye in February 2023.

Taken together, these efforts show how China is turning local experience into shared capacity. The aim, in line with this year’s theme, is to help homes and communities everywhere become safer and more resilient to disasters.