BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for solid efforts to ensure workplace safety, in a bid to effectively safeguard people's lives and property and maintain overall social stability.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in an instruction on ensuring safe production.

Relevant authorities across the country must improve the quality and effectiveness of risk and hazard inspections, Li said, urging them to strictly investigate and punish illegal and non-compliant practices as well as falsification related to production safety.

For key sectors such as mining, fireworks, transportation, and construction, it is essential to strengthen safety supervision and management across the entire industrial chains, Li said. He also added that relevant personnel must shoulder their respective responsibilities and ensure the implementation of related measures to firmly curb the frequent occurrence of major and especially serious accidents.

As China enters its flood season, the flood control and disaster relief situation is becoming increasingly grim and complex, Li said. He called for stepped-up monitoring and warnings, greater emergency preparedness, and stronger rescue and relief capabilities.

A national video conference on safe production was held in Beijing on Saturday.

Zhang Guoqing, Chinese vice-premier and a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended and spoke at the conference. Zhang urged all regions to draw profound lessons from recent accidents, step up efforts to detect and eliminate hidden risks, and ensure workplace safety in a stricter and more solid manner.

Zhang added that a tough crackdown must be launched on illegal and irregular practices, such as concealed operations and the falsification of safety monitoring data, in mining, fireworks, hazardous chemicals and other key sectors.