BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged authorities to stay on high alert and make every effort to ensure public safety for the country's billion-plus people.

In a group study of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Friday, Xi stressed the importance of public safety in a stable social environment, calling for an improved mechanism to avoid and better respond to safety hazards.

China should strengthen safety regulations for agricultural products, food and drugs while carrying out targeted campaigns to improve workplace safety, Xi said. He also urged more efforts to improve natural disaster response and prevention.

The emphasis on public safety came after a fire killed 38 people at a private rest home in central China's Henan Province. A preliminary investigation found poor building quality and lax safety management were to blame.