Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged flood-struck areas to make great
efforts to help local residents affected by the floods resume
production and rebuild their homes.
Wen spoke while inspecting flood-hit areas along the Weihe River --
a tributary of the Yellow River -- in northwest China's Shaanxi
Province and along the Huaihe River in east China's Anhui Province,
on Wednesday and Thursday.
Wen, also a member of the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau of Central Committee of the
Communist Party of China (CPC), visited flood-hit villages and
schools, makeshift shelters for residents and construction
sites.
He listened to reports regarding the life of flood victims in the
two regions.
The overriding task is to improve
the life of flood-affected residents, concentrate efforts on
rebuilding agricultural production in autumn and winter, combating
floods, and carrying out relief work and economic development, said
Wen.
"It is necessary to help, by all possible means, flood-affected
residents resume production as early as possible and rebuild new
homes," said Wen.
Wen toured Kanggan Village near the embankment of Weihe River in
Huaxian County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, where there
will be no autumn crop harvest because all arable land was
inundated during flooding on the Weihe River this autumn.
Inside a makeshift tent belonging to villager Kang Tian'en, Wen
asked about damage caused by the flood around the village and
encouraged villagers to resume production and help themselves by
overcoming difficulties.
He told local health and epidemic prevention workers on patrol that
it is also imperative to take effective measures to prevent an
outbreak of disease among residents as the weather gets colder.
Wen on Thursday visited Wangjiaba Town, and Jinhuang Village in
Mengwa flood diversion zone, in east China's Anhui Province, both
of which were badly affected by serious summer flooding on the
Huaihe river.
(Xinhua News Agency October 4, 2003)
