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)