BEIJING — Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua underscored providing stronger meteorological services for sustained and sound economic development and social stability.

Hu, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in Beijing at a symposium on the 70th anniversary of new China's meteorological cause on Dec 9.

Efforts should be stepped up to promote the high-quality development of meteorology, improve meteorological guarantee services, and let meteorological disaster prevention and relief better play its role as the first line of defense, said Hu.

"The key to accelerating China's building into a powerful meteorological country is to promote the modernization of meteorology," Hu stressed.

More efforts should be made to strengthen sci-tech innovation and breakthroughs in core technologies, deepen reform and opening-up, and actively participate in global climate governance and construction, said Hu.