Special report: Strong Earthquake
Jolts SW China
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R) greets
President Hu Jintao upon Hu's arrival in Mianyang, a city in quake-hit
southwestern Sichuan Province, May 16, 2008. President Hu flew to
quake-hit southwestern Sichuan Province Friday morning to console the
victims and inspect the rescue and relief work. (Xinhua
Photo)
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MIANYANG, Sichuan, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese
President Hu Jintao arrived in Mianyang, a city in quake-hit southwestern
Sichuan Province, after more than two hours of flight from Beijing on Friday
morning.
During the flight, Hu opened a map, and carefully
assessed the quake damage and the progress of relief work with others aboard the
plane.
Hu said that after several days of endeavor, the
relief work has been comprehensively launched and is proceeding in an "forceful,
orderly and effective" way.
However, he said, "The challenge is still daunting,
the task is still arduous and the time pressing."
Although the "golden relief time", which refers to
the 72 hours after an earthquake occurs, has already passed, he said, "Saving
lives is still the top priority of our work."
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao greets
Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) upon Hu's arrival in Mianyang, a city in
quake-hit southwestern Sichuan Province, May 16, 2008. (Xinhua
Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
At the same time, he said, "we need to make greater
efforts in treating the injured, restoring the transportation,
telecommunications and power supply infrastructure in quake-stricken areas and
ensure basic living conditions for local residents."
Hu stressed, "Currently, quake relief work has
entered into the most crucial phase. We must make every effort, race against
time and overcome all difficulties to achieve the final victory of the relief
efforts."
At 10:30 a.m. Friday, Hu's plane landed at the
airport of Mianyang City.
In the meeting room of the airport, Hu, together with
Premier Wen Jiabao who has been in the disaster-hit area since Monday, vice
premier Hui Liangyu and vice chairman of Central Military Commission Guo
Boxiong, made research and deployment on the quake-relief work.
After that, Hu rushed to Beichuan county by
automobile.
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Chinese President Hu Jintao (2nd L)
discusses with officials the quake relief work during his flight to the
disaster area in southwest China's Sichuan Province May 16, 2008.
(Xinhua Photo)
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Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission
(CMC), flew to the quake-hit area to console the victims and inspect the rescue
and relief work.
Hu will also visit the troops and medical workers who
are engaged in around-the-clock relief efforts in the quake areas.
As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the confirmed death toll in
Sichuan alone was 19,509 and more than 50,000 people were feared dead.
Also Friday morning, Premier Wen Jiabao told Chinese
media on a train in Sichuan that saving lives remained the top priority almost
four days after the quake.
"We won't give up if there is even the slightest hope of finding more survivors," he said.
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Chinese President Hu Jintao (2nd L) discusses with officials the quake relief work during his flight to the disaster area in southwest China's Sichuan Province May 16, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
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Wen said the quake was "the biggest and most
destructive since new China was founded in 1949," and the quick response had
helped reduce casualties to the greatest extent.
The premier vowed "to pour out whatever the country
is capable of" to combat the massive disaster and fight till the end.
To move forward with relief work, the country needs
confidence, resolution, perseverance and forceful organization work, he said.
"We believe that so long as we rely on the people,
the military and the civilians unite together, the officials and the general
public unite together, and together we stand, we will surely win this anti-quake
battle," Wen stressed.
Chinese president flies to quake-hit
Sichuan
BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President
Hu Jintao flew to quake-hit southwestern Sichuan Province Friday morning to
console the victims and inspect the rescue and relief work.
Hu will also visit the troops and medical workers who are
engaged in around-the-clock relief efforts in the quake areas. Full story
Chinese Politburo stresses saving
lives first in quake relief
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Saving lives should
be taken as the top priority during quake relief after nearly 15,000 were
confirmed dead, a high profile meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
Central Committee was told Wednesday. Full story
China's Hu says quake relief
government's top priority
BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese leader Hu
Jintao urged governments at all levels to regard earthquake rescue and relief as
the top priority at a high profile meeting late Monday evening. Full story
President Hu orders utmost effort for
Sichuan quake victims
BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- President Hu Jintao
on Monday ordered all-out efforts to help those affected by a major earthquake
measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale that jolted Wenchuan County of southwest
China's Sichuan Province at 2:28 p.m. on Monday. Full story
Premier Wen calls for nationwide
efforts in rescue, relief
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao greets local
people during an inspection in Muyu Township of Qingchuan County, one of
the worst-hit area of Guangyuan City in southwest China's Sichuan
Province, May 15, 2008. Wen is here to oversee rescue work and visit
survivors.(Xinhua/Tao Ming)
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Gallery>>> |
CHENGDU, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Rescue operation
and disaster relief for victims in the worst earthquake over decades are of top
priority of the nation, and thus require concerted efforts from the whole
country, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday night. Full story
CPC leader urges earlier re-function
of quake-damaged railway
XI'AN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Yongkang, member
of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) Central Committee, has urged re-function of the quake-damaged
Baoji-Chengdu Railway as soon as possible. Full story
Senior official: Earthquake relief a priority
for government
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Vice Premier Li
Keqiang has highlighted the importance of relief work in the wake of southwest
China earthquake, calling it the government's top priority. Full story
CPC to "test" officials through
performance in disaster relief: senior official
BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party
of China (CPC) will "test" officials through their performance in the on-going
earthquake disaster relief work, head of the CPC discipline watchdog said here
Wednesday.
He Guoqiang, secretary of the CPC's Central Commission for
Discipline Inspection (CCDI) required officials at all levels to properly
perform their duties and "stand on the front line" of disaster relief. Full story
CPC discipline watchdog steps up
monitoring to ensure smooth quake relief work
BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China
(CPC) discipline watchdog has ordered its officials of all levels to step up
monitoring and inspection on disaster relief work in the country's southwest
earthquake-hit regions. Full story
Taiwan Red Cross ready for quake
rescue in Sichuan
BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The Red Cross
organization of Taiwan has been invited and is now ready to rush for the rescue
work in quake-hit Sichuan Province, the mainland-based Red Cross Society of
China said Thursday. Full story
Japanese rescue professionals arrive
in quake-hit SW China
CHENGDU, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A group of rescue professionals sent by the
Japanese government arrived in Chengdu, capital of quake-ravaged southwest
China's Sichuan Province, early Friday to assist the rescue work. Full story
China quake deaths estimated over
50,000 in Sichuan alone, 19,509 deaths confirmed
CHENGDU, May 15 (Xinhua) -- More than 50,000 people are feared dead in
southwest China's Sichuan Province alone after Monday's earthquake, the rescue
headquarters of the State Council said Thursday. Full story
