615m yuan provided for flood disaster relief

China allocated a total of 615 million yuan ($87.82 million) to six provincial-level regions on Wednesday for disaster relief in areas hit by floods, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

The funds, allocated by the ministries of finance and emergency management, were channeled to Chongqing, the provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei and Guizhou, and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

While 430 million yuan will be used for flood control, the remaining 185 million yuan will be used to help people affected by the disasters, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

On July 7, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters upgraded the emergency response for flood control to level three as incessant downpours continued to wreak havoc across vast stretches of the country.

Heavy rain has lashed large parts of southern China since June, with the waters of many rivers in affected regions exceeding warning levels.

Nine professions gain government recognition

China has given official recognition to nine new professions in an effort to promote employment amid COVID-19 prevention and control measures, according to a statement released on July 6 by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Bureau of Statistics.

The new professions, including blockchain technician, online marketer, online learning consultant and community health assistant, are mostly in the public health sector, emerging industries and areas related to poverty alleviation, it said.

Five other jobs, including livestreaming salesperson and internet information auditor, have also been recognized, while three types of work related to public health services, such as epidemic prevention coordinator and sanitation worker, have been upgraded into professions, the statement said.

It is the third time China has added new professions to its occupation list since 2015, when the country unveiled the latest edition of its occupational classifications.

Xinhua contributed to the story.