Special report: Reconstruction After
Earthquake
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Chinese President Hu Jintao speaks at
the ceremony honoring organizations and individuals for their
contributions to relief work after the May 12 earthquake at the Great Hall
of the People in Beijing, China, Oct. 8, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>> |
by Xinhua writers Meng Na, Wu Chen, Yuan Ye
BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- President Hu Jintao on
Wednesday urged China to carry on the spirit of unity, courage, "people first"
and scientific thinking that characterized the May 12 earthquake relief effort.
At a ceremony in Beijing's Great Hall of the People
to honor outstanding organizations and individuals for their contributions to
the rescue and relief work, Hu said the spirit should be promoted among the
Communist Party of China (CPC) members and the public.
This would help advance the sound and rapid economic
and social development.
He said that in face of the major disaster, the CPC
Central Committee had listed quake relief as the most important and urgent task
for the Party and country as soon as possible.
Quake relief headquarters under the State Council had
been set up and a system to coordinate the military and local governments had
been established to mobilize the nation to advance the quake relief and
reconstruction.
"We organized the fastest quake relief work with the
most people mobilized in China's history, saved as many as possible lives and
minimized the losses from the disaster," Hu said.
The 8.0-magnitude quake was the most destructive one
since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, with more than 30,000
aftershocks, affecting 500,000 square km over more than 10 provinces, autonomous
regions and municipalities, including Gansu, Shaanxi and Chongqing.
It was felt in 417 counties, 4,667 townships and
48,810 villages. It left 69,227 dead with 17,923 still missing. About 15.1
million people were displaced, Hu said.
Direct losses exceeded 845.1 billion yuan (124
billion U.S. dollars) as infrastructure was destroyed and industrial and
agricultural production was affected, causing major environmental damage.
Party committees, governments, grassroots cadres and
the people in quake-hit regions had responded quickly to the devastating quake,
making the utmost effort to help themselves and others.
Hu praised the 146,000 troops, armed police,
reservists and police which had been mobilized for the anti-quake work,
describing them as the "main force" and "commandoes."
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Chinese President Hu Jintao and other
Chinese Party and state leaders including Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia
Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou
Yongkang meet with representatives of the organizations and individuals
who made major contributions to the relief work after the May 12
earthquake before the ceremony honoring organizations and individuals for
their contributions to relief work after the May 12 earthquake struck
southwest China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Oct.
8, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
Photo Gallery>>> |
ĦĦĦĦOUTSTANDING INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS
HONORED
Hu, also the CPC Central Committee general secretary
and Central Military Commission chairman, and other senior officials, presented
awards to soldiers, police, grassroots cadres, teachers, medical workers,
journalists, construction workers and volunteers, among others.
A total of 319 governmental organs, Party committees,
businesses and hospitals, as well as 522 individuals were honored at the
ceremony attended by about 6,000 people and broadcast live nationwide.
Five of the recipients were awarded posthumously for
dying in the line of duty, including 23-year-old teacher Gou Xiaochao.
Gou was in a classroom at Yong'an Village's primary
school in Tongjiang County, Sichuan Province, when the whole building began
shaking violently at 2:28 p.m. on May 12.
Realizing it was a strong earthquake, he herded the
shocked students out of the building. His actions saved dozens of schoolchildren
before he was buried in hail of concrete and bricks.
He died on the way to hospital, only 10 days after
getting married.
Policewoman Jiang Min is another heroine whose story
is now known all over China.
She lost 10 family members, including her
two-year-old daughter and her mother, when the quake almost leveled her
hometown, Beichuan County. Despite her tremendous grief, Jiang kept helping
others affected in the quake.
Hu Jintao said the May earthquake was "a great test
of Chinese will, courage and strength, as well as the Party's ruling
capability."
"The relief work showed the great strength of the CPC
and the socialist state, the great strength of the 1.3 billion Chinese people,
the great strength of the reform and opening up, and the great strength of
socialism with Chinese characteristics," he said.
During his speech, Hu suggested people who attended
the ceremony stand in silent tribute for compatriots who died in the quake and
the martyrs who sacrificed themselves in the relief work.
RECONSTRUCTION NOW A
MAJOR FOCUS
Hu said the anti-quake work had again proved China's
system of socialism had great vitality for development with the advantage of
"concentrating strength on big events."
This proved people are the real driving force for the
country's development. In addition, it proved the army is the "iron great wall"
to protect the people and proved the CPC's core leadership role in developing
socialism with Chinese characteristics.
"We have gained precious experience in dealing with
emergencies and combating major natural disasters," Hu said.
Hu said the Sichuan quake caused huge loss of life
and property and damaged economic and social development.
The quake relief work had tested and demonstrated the
great achievement of the last 30 years of reform and opening up.
He stressed to fully implement the rebuilding
policies after the disaster to build happy new homes for the quake-affected
people, solving the problems concerned with their livelihood.
Reconstruction should be scientifically planned and
carried out step by step.
"We should realize the goal of 'homes and jobs for
each household, social security for everyone, improvement to local
infrastructure, development of the economy and improvement to the environment,'"
he said.
People's basic living conditions and public service
facilities should be resumed first and the working conditions should be resumed
as soon as possible.
"Currently, we should help the people get through the
winter season safely."
Hu urged the quake-affected people to work hard and
other regions to provide support to the rebuilding.
In addition to Hu, Chinese Party and state leaders
including Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li
Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang, and about 6,000 people attended the
ceremony.
Premier Wen, who presided over the ceremony, said the
outlines and policies of the rebuilding would be well implemented.
Anti-quake heroes honored as arduous post-quake construction goes on
BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- China held a ceremony here on Wednesday to honor 522 individuals and 320 organizations for their relief efforts after the May 12 earthquake struck the country's southwest. Full story
China honors outstanding anti-quake
organzations, individuals
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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao presides over
the ceremony honoring organizations and individuals for their
contributions to relief work after the May 12 earthquake at the Great Hall
of the People in Beijing, China, Oct. 8, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
Photo
Gallery>>> |
BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony was held here
Wednesday to honor organizations and individuals who made major contributions to
the relief work after the May 12 earthquake struck southwest China.
Chinese Party and state leaders including Hu Jintao, Wu
Bangguo,Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He
Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang attended the ceremony, which kicked off at 10 a.m..
Full story
Chinese leaders visit May quake
exhibition
BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- President Hu
Jintao and other Chinese leaders including top legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier
Wen Jiabao on Tuesday visited an exhibition which pays tribute to victims of the
May earthquake in Sichuan Province and the nation's concerted efforts to assist
the disaster-stricken areas.
Photos and videos showing the aftermath of the
catastrophic earthquake, as well as items that were used to rescue victims drew
attentions of the leaders. Full story
Death toll from China's May earthquake
remains unchanged at 69,227
BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the May
12 earthquake in Sichuan Province and its neighboring region remained unchanged
as 69,227 as of Thursday noon, the State Council Information Office said in a
statement.
The numbers of people listed as missing and injured were
17,923and 374,643 respectively. Full story
