Amid China's worst snow disaster in decades, the Chinese leaders
have shown the public a hands-on approach by visiting people
working on the front lines of the weather crisis.
After chairing two key meetings in as many days in Beijing,
President Hu Jintao took an inspection tour on Thursday
to coal fields in Datong of Shanxi Province and Qinhuangdao Port in Hebei Province, through which much of Shanxi's
coal is shipped.
President Hu Jintao on
January 31, 2008,?asks the miners to produce as much coal as
they could safely to provide more fuel for generating electricity
amid a nation-wide shortage.
Hu entered a coal mine more than 400 meters underground, taking
an elevator down to meet miners of the Datangtashan coal mine co-op
in Datong who had worked overtime in temperatures of minus 20
degrees Celsius to increase supply.
"Disaster-hit areas need coal and the power plants need coal,"
Hu told administrators and workers of the mine, saying that coal
supply had been a crucial part in fighting the snow disaster.
At the side of a facility that transfers coal to vessels in
Qinhuangdao Port, Hu told dockworkers to maintain all equipment in
good condition and improve the efficiency of coal transportation to
vessels.
Power in much of central and southern China has been disrupted
by the winter weather and its ensuing effects on coal
transport.
The snow, the heaviest in decades in many places, has been
falling in east, central and south China for more than a fortnight.
It has caused deaths, structural collapses, blackouts, accidents,
transport problems and livestock and crop destruction.
Premier Wen Jiabao was also on the road for much of the
past three days.
Wen flew out of Beijing on Monday night to Hunan Province but had to land at Tianhe
Airport in neighboring Hubei Province because of the bad weather. He
completed his journey by train and arrived in Changsha City, the
provincial capital, on Tuesday morning.
In Changsha railway station, Wen offered early Spring Festival
wishes to stranded passengers.
"I am deeply apologetic that you are stranded in the railway
station and not able to go home earlier," Wen told the passengers
through a megaphone. "We are now doing our best to fix things up
and you will all be home for the Spring Festival."
On Wednesday morning, he arrived in the southern city of
Guangzhou, where he reassured stranded rail passengers that the
government would try its best to make sure they got home for Lunar
New Year family reunions.
"The premier was in Hubei the day before yesterday and in Hunan
yesterday. I do not expect him to come to Guangzhou today despite
the rain. I feel warmth in my heart," said a passenger.
Chinese netizens also filled online bulletin boards with
heartwarming words to express how moved they were by the leaders'
visits.
"After watching the Premier's visits on TV, I feel greatly
encouraged," said a netizen whose IP address was from Hebei
Province, "I firmly believe that there is no reason we can not
fight back against the disaster."
Daniel Cotterall of New Zealand, who is living in Beijing, said
that he saw on television the news that Wen went to train stations,
telling people not to panic.
"The premier's visit among the public was great and typical of
Premier Wen's style. He was interested in people's real problems,
especially those of farmers and migrant workers," Cotterall
said.
According to the latest update released by the National
Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on Thursday evening,
traffic jams in disaster striken areas had been eased as the army
were called in to help clear the ice.
Power supply has been resumed in most of the southern areas
except for Hunan, Jiangxi and Guizhou Provinces. Coal supply for power
generation has been increased in most needed areas.
Another update from the Ministry of Public Security said that
all the airports in provincial capitals and other major airports
have resumed flights.
(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2008)
