Primary school students practice evacuation during an air defense?warning drill?in Hefei, the capital of East China's Anhui province, in this Sept 17, 2013?file photo. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - 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 Friday, Xi stressed the importance of public safety in a stable social environment, according to a statement released Saturday.

"We should dedicate our efforts to improving public safety, so that our people can live and work happily and safely," Xi told members of the Political Bureau.

Public safety generally includes food and drug safety, workplace safety, disaster prevention and relief.

"China's public safety conditions are largely good, but we must be alert to latent problems," said the president, calling for an improved mechanism to avoid and better respond to safety hazards.

Xi asked officials to strengthen safety regulations for agricultural products to make sure people eat safely and healthily.

He vowed to adopt the strictest safety standards in food and drug production and punish violators severely.

China prioritizes people's lives and will hold local governments accountable for workplace accidents and launch a campaign nationwide to defuse safety risks, Xi said.

Xi also asked authorities to improve prevention and response to natural disasters through routine measures and quick post-disaster relief.

The Chinese people have faced mounting public safety concerns, including food contamination, deadly factory accidents, floods and earthquakes. The public has asked the government to take action.

Political Bureau members usually convene to study a particular subject and discuss it with experts. Friday's group study is the 23rd since the incumbent bureau was elected in November 2012.