Earthquake Forecast in China

    The present position of China in the forecast of earthquake can be summarized as follows:
    We have some knowledge on the tenet of earthquake cultivation and the regular pattern of the earthquakes, but we are not fully aware of the whole story of earthquakes. We could forecast some types of earthquakes, but we could not forecast all earthquakes. Our long and middle range forecasts on earthquakes are credible to some extent, but the short term and imminent earthquake predictions are still not so successful.
Because of the highlighting of the government and the distinct target set for seismologists, through the joint efforts of generations of seismologists, the earthquake forecast in China has now ranked in the front row of the world. In the fourth active period of earthquakes, we have given veracious imminent prediction to several earthquakes such as the Haicheng earthquake, thus, after the assessment of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
    China is recorded in the history of the world as the first country that successfully gives short term earthquake predictions.
    Earthquake forecast is still in a period of exploration. Mankind is still not fully aware of the regular pattern of earthquake cultivation and development. Our present forecasts mainly have their basis on the accumulated materials and examples of earthquakes through many years. Our forecast is of only based on our experience in nature, thus, it's inevitable that the forecast might be quite limited. For this purpose, the Law of Earthquake Prevention and Mitigation of Disaster of the People's Republic of China stipulated that: China adopts the unity system to issue earthquake forecast.
    The right of earthquake forecast issuing is kept with the government in China. No earthquake administration unit of any level, research unit, observation stations, scientists or individuals has the right to issue news concerning earthquake forecast.