Vice Premier visits snow-hit province

BEIJING—Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi has expressed concern for those suffering in the snow and urged local officials to do their utmost to help locals during an inspection tour of disaster-hit Jiangxi Province.
Wu, who is leading a work group in the eastern province, said officials must go deep into the disaster-affected areas and make solid efforts to provide food, water and clothing to those affected.
She said local officials should “be fully aware of the arduousness and graveness of the snow havoc battle and make better preparation for fighting the extreme weather”.
Wu said Jiangxi Province should continue to brace for snow and sleet in the coming days. The battle against the extreme weather will turn graver. She warned local officials not to be slack and weary in their jobs.
She urged local officials to intensify efforts to ensure electricity supply, continue to unblock roads and solve living difficulties for disaster-affected people, especially those whose housing was demolished in the weather.
At 8 a.m on Saturday, Wu arrived at the railway station of Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province. She greeted stranded passengers and station work staff.
Later on, she braved the snow and cold snap to go to Dongxiang County in Fuzhou City to inspect the local electricity and water supply.
At the site where a power pole was toppled, Wu encouraged workers who were struggling to repair electricity lines to “overcome difficulties and speed up the repair work while protecting themselves, so as to ensure a bright Spring Festival for people in the county”.
At a local waterworks, she learned of the difficulties faced by the operation and demanded local government officials to better support the waterworks to ensure supply for locals.
On Sunday, Wu went to the Jiangxi Provincial Electricity Transfer Center to learn about the local electricity supply, coal reserves and transport situation. She encouraged the workers to make new achievements in the battle against the weather.
Weather conditions in southern China will remain severe and relief work a difficult task, the country’s top leaders warned the nation on Sunday.
The warning came after a meeting of the Standing Committee of Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). It was chaired by President Hu Jintao and studied the current relief work.
“We have to be clear minded that certain regions in the south will continue to undergo icy weather caused by rain and snow and severe disasters will continue,” a statement issued after the meeting said.
The worst winter disaster in five decades has affected 19 out of 34 China regions, with more than 60 people killed and nearly 1.76 million relocated in the past two weeks.
“Relief work will remain very grim, posing a tough task on us,” it added.
The meeting called on provincial and local governments, as well as officials, to continue to make relief work a top priority though transport and power supply chaos in some disaster-hit regions have been eased.
“It remains utmost for us to restore transportation and power supply and guarantee people’s daily needs,” the statement said. The transportation authority will prioritize stranded people on their way home, relief materials, daily necessities and coal to fuel power plants, it said.
Residential areas, hospitals, schools and railway stations will top the list of power supply. The country is to allocate more electricity to disaster-hit regions from neighboring areas, it added. Governments of all levels are required to crack down upon overcharging, especially on daily commodities such as rice, meat and cooking oil.
The areas that did not suffer the winter storm are urged to reach out to those needing help, it said. The meeting also asked disaster-suffering provinces to take up rehabilitation work as soon as possible.
“We are trying to minimize the damage and stabilize the economy,” the statement said.

—The Daily Mail, China Daily news exchange item