China sets up tsunami early warning center

China has founded a tsunami early warning center to quicken responses to tsunamis and curb secondary disasters, announced the State Oceanic Administration here on Thursday. The center, attached to the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center, is intended to strengthen monitoring of offshore earthquakes and tsunamis off the Chinese coast and in the South China Sea, analyze data and issue advance warnings, said the administration in a statement. It will not only serve China's coastal regions but also other countries along the South China Sea, the statement said. The center is also tasked with planning tsunami contingency exercises and improving people's awareness of tsunamis. The facility will hold a national research institute and lab for tsunami monitoring and early warnings.