China's top political advisor, Jia Qinglin, called on
governments in snow-hit regions to take effective measures,
strengthen leadership and unite people of all walks of life to
combat the unprecedented natural disaster.
Jia Qinglin shakes hands
with a senior resident in snow-torn Shucheng County of Anhui
Province February 1, 2007.
During a visit to eastern province of Anhui from Jan. 30 to Feb.
1, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference, visited railway and bus
stations, power supply companies, farm produce markets, vegetable
production bases and rural households in Hefei, the provincial
capital, and Liu'an city.
On behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of
China and the State Council, Jia extended regards to officials and
members of the public who had been fighting the effects of severe
weather.
Jia urged making disaster relief the top priority.
Jia met a wide range of people ranging from passengers stranded
in bus and railway stations to rural farmers. He was accompanied by
the Anhui provincial Party chief Wang Jinshan and Governor Wang
Sanyun.
The snow disaster has been the worst in recent decades and has
caused coal and power shortages, Jia noted. He asked local
officials and power grid controllers to use electricity
economically.
The snow has been falling in east, central and south China for
more than a fortnight. It has caused deaths, structural collapses,
blackouts, accidents, transport problems and livestock and crop
destruction.
Jia stressed that local governments should maintain normal
supply of gasoline and natural gas to ensure that urban residents
had access to energy.
The top political advisor asked local officials to pay attention
to living conditions at the grass roots and work together to fight
the disaster.
Jia also encouraged advisory bodies at the local level to offer
more suggestions for disaster relief.
(Xinhua News Agency February 2, 2008)
