An exposed riverbed, due to low water levels caused by drought, along the Jialing River, Aug. 17. Bloomberg News Chinese President Xi Jinping called on local authorities to work to relieve the severe drought in some provinces that’s threatening electricity supplies and adding a further risk to economic growth. Local governments in northern regions also need to step up their monitoring of floods, Xi said during a trip to Liaoning province in northern China this week, according to a report by the state broadcaster CCTV. Heavy rainfall in the province has damaged crop output and residents’ property, local authorities told Xi. He called on them to ensure public safety and help those affected resume normal life and production, according to the CCTV report. A heat wave in southern China has led some factories in Sichuan province to curb production as hydropower generation is impacted by the worst drought on […]