Special Report: China's war on snow havoc

Spring Festival Special 2008

    NANNING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- President Hu Jintao spent the Spring Festival, a traditional family reunion holiday for the Chinese, in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which was heavily hit by the worst winter storm in five decades.

    Hu, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, visited local residents, soldiers and workers still on duty during the red-letter day.

Chinese President Hu Jintao helps local women wave traditional colorful cloth on Friday while visiting Baise, an old revolutionary base in western Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    It was the fifth year in a row that the president spent the festival outside Beijing with ordinary citizens.

    On Thursday, the first day of the lunar new year, Hu called on an armed police barrack in Nanning, capital of Guangxi, extending new year wishes to the policemen there.

    Hu said he hoped them "further enhance the capabilities of fulfilling duties in a new social environment, resolutely carry out the tasks assigned by the Party and people, and make new contributions to guaranteeing the people's good living and safeguarding the country's safety and social stability."

    Unusual winter weather damaged more than 6,700 power transmission lines of the China Southern Power Grid (CSPG), affecting power supply to 90 counties.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) points at a screen while visiting Guangxi Power Grid Co.Ltd in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Feb. 7, 2008. Hu Jintao made an inspection tour in Guangxi between Feb. 5 and Feb. 8. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Workers have restored nearly 60 percent of the damaged lines, fully or partly resuming the services to 88 counties by Thursday.

    Hu paid a visit to the CSPG branch in Guangxi. "You have done a tough job, bringing people a bright and warm Spring Festival. The Party and people thank you," Hu told the company's employees.

    The President urged them to finish repairing the damaged lines as soon as possible and ensure stable operation of the repaired grid.

    At Nanning's mail processing center, Hu praised the postmen for working hard to keep mail services basically in operation in the face of the severe disaster.

    Hu also toured Baise, an old revolutionary base in western Guangxi on Friday. "I am glad to see you and your neighbors have pretty houses and enjoy good lives," Hu told a rural family.

    The central government will issue more policies to benefit agriculture and farmers and especially beef up the support for ethnic minorities in the new year, he said.

    After visiting an revolutionary memorial at Baise, Hu urged carrying forward glorious revolutionary traditions while firmly pushing forward the reform and opening-up drive.

Chinese leaders visit disaster-hit regions on holiday eve

Chinese President Hu Jintao visits villagers in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Wednesday. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Chinese President Hu Jintao helps soldiers load relief supplies to a helicopter on Tuesday. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- In the past five consecutive years, it has been a common sight for China's top leaders to visit ordinary Chinese on Lunar New Year's eve. This year was no exception.

    Amid China's worst weather disaster for decades, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao both spent the most important holiday in disaster-hit regions, directing relief work and greeting people being affected. Full story

President Hu: Hold firm belief in victory over weather crisis

    BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao called on the public on Monday to hold the firm belief of victory over the weather crisis that is still plaguing the southern part of the country.

    Hu also stressed that the public should not overlook the situation and task of the current relief work. Full story

Chinese premier makes latest visit to disaster-hit region, 3rd in 9 days

    BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- As most Chinese prepared dinners for Lunar New Year's Eve family reunions, Premier Wen Jiabao had a busy travel schedule that took him around the country's winter disaster areas.

    On Wednesday afternoon, Wen hastened to the eastern province of Jiangxi where he visited the city of Fuzhou, which has been in the dark for more than 20 days.  Full story

Premier Wen: China confident, capable in winning battle against disaster

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Beijing on Monday that China is confident and capable in achieving the final victory in combating disasters incurred by low temperature, ice and heavy snow. Wen made the remarks at a seminar with more than 20 foreign experts who have been engaged in revolution and construction in China for a long time. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said here on Monday that China is confident and capable in achieving the final victory in combating disasters incurred by low temperature, ice and heavy snow.

    Wen made the remarks at a seminar with more than 20 foreign experts who have been engaged in revolution and construction in China for a long time.  Full story

Premier calls for courage, patience as snow not over

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao inspects the Xiangtan Power Plant, the largest heat power plant in central China's Hunan Province, Feb. 2, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Weather conditions in southern China will remain severe and relief work a difficult task, Chinese leaders warned the nation on Sunday when disaster-hit areas reported mixture of good and bad news.

    The warning came after a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) here on Sunday. It was chaired by President Hu Jintao and studied the current relief work.  Full story

Leaders' visits boost morale amid China's winter-weather crisis

    BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- 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.

    As of Friday, five of the nine members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau had visited people fighting disasters at front line or working in coalmines and ports supporting the relief work.  Full story  

Chinese premier visits passengers stranded at Guangzhou railway station

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao talks with passengers on a train leaving for Nanchang in east China's Jiangxi Province, at the Guangzhou Railway Station in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 30, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday visited passengers stranded at the railway station in the southern city of Guangzhou, saying the government will try its best to make sure they can go home for family reunion for the upcoming lunar New Year.

    Speaking through a megaphone to a large crowd, Wen told passengers: "You all want to go home and I completely understand how you feel. We are now fixing the power grid. Once the power supply resumes, trains will be running. Full story

Premier Wen rushes to Hunan Province to direct disaster relief work

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) speaks by a loudspeaker to the stranded passengers at the Railway Station of Changsha in central China's Hunan Province on Jan. 29, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    CHANGSHA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has rushed to Hunan to help with the central China province's disaster relief work following an unprecedented snowfall.

    Wen flew out of Beijing on Monday night but had to land at Tianhe Airport in neighboring Hubei Province because of the bad weather in Hunan. He then completed his journey by train and arrived in Changsha City, the provincial capital, on Tuesday morning. Full story