Troops who took part in the fight against the floods in the
Huaihe and Weihe river valleys and in other areas were commended
days ago by the Headquarters of
the General Staff and the General Political Department of the
Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Since China entered flood season this year, continuous
rainstorms have made it the most serious flooding in the Huaihe
River valleys the country has seen since 1954. And floods of
different levels also appeared in Jiangsu, Hunan, Guangxi, Sichuan,
Shaanxi, Hubei and Gansu provinces. Chinese troops and militia
quickly rushed to fight against the floods. A total of 48,000
soldiers, 410,000 militia, 3,300 cars and 351 boats were
dispatched. They helped evacuate 1.2 million people, settle 1,400
dangerous situations, reinforce 2,800 kilometer of dykes and save
450,000 tons of materials.
Soldiers and militia struggled in stiflingly hot days, showing
their bravery and selflessness. Officials of different levels
actively took part in the fight. About 50 generals went to the
frontlines to guide flood diversion, dyke reinforcement, succors
and crisis management. More than 1,400 officials at division and
corps levels worked together with soldiers and militia. Whenever
crisis occurred, Party members always ran to the front. Their hard
work and spirit of selflessness won support and praise of people
and governments in flooded areas.
(China.org.cn by Feng Yikun, September 13, 2003)