CGTN: Xi emphasizes post-disaster reconstruction during visit to northeast China

2023-09-09 01:33:05

Peking, China (ots/PRNewswire) – Chinese President Xi Jinping visited flood-affected villagers in Shangzhi city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang province on Thursday, underlining efforts to speed up post-disaster reconstruction and ensure the safety of affected people.

From late July to early August, several areas in northern and northeastern China experienced rare rainfall and flooding after typhoons Doksuri and Khanun moved into the country, causing widespread casualties and damage.

Xi’s visit came as post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction were crucial in these regions following the receding of floodwaters.

Accelerating reconstruction

In early August, the city of Shangzhi experienced the worst rainfall since 1957, affecting 79,000 people. In the city, a major grain-growing area, nearly 420,000 mu (28,000 hectares) of crop area was affected by the rains.

In Longwangmiao village, which Xi visited, 58.8 percent of the cultivated area was damaged and 149 of 193 households in the area suffered house damage.

Xi walked through the village’s fields to check the flood’s impact on rice crops. As he walked the streets, he inspected the work to rebuild damaged houses and infrastructure.

Given that the winter season comes earlier and lasts longer in the northeastern regions, Xi urged local authorities to carefully and thoroughly examine matters related to people’s daily life and work and make plans and measures in advance to take.

He called for repairing the damaged houses, speeding up post-disaster reconstruction, minimizing agricultural losses and ensuring the safety of the affected people.

Xi visited villagers’ homes to learn about their losses and daily needs and encouraged them to boost their self-confidence to overcome difficulties. He expressed the hope that they will soon be able to return to normal work and everyday life and continue to improve their lives.

Reinforcing the previous demand

Xi’s visit to Longwangmiao is an affirmation of his call for post-disaster reconstruction work since the start of the country’s flood season.

In early July, he gave instructions on flood prevention and disaster relief, calling on authorities at all levels to give top priority to people’s safety. This came after persistent heavy rains in regions including southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, causing many casualties and severe property damage.

In July, during a visit to Sichuan Province in southwest China, he called for flood control and disaster relief preparations to be made and casualties and property damage to be largely minimized as the Yangtze River Basin enters flood season in July and August.

On August 1, Xi issued a new directive as extreme rainfall in northern China and regions along the Yellow and Huaihe rivers triggered floods and geological disasters, causing many casualties in Beijing and Hebei.

The security of people and their property as well as social stability must be ensured with utmost effort, Xi stressed in his instruction.

Following Xi’s instructions, Chinese authorities at all levels have launched massive rescue and relief efforts, and the central government has allocated more than 9.68 billion yuan (nearly $1.32 billion) to various flood prevention and relief funds since the start of this year’s flood season Disaster areas provided.

As China has achieved significant achievements in flood prevention and disaster relief, a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in mid-August to organize further work on rehabilitation and post-disaster recovery.

“When the people of China encounter difficulties, we will live up to our socialist superiority, that is, when problems arise in one place, help will come from all sides with the full support of the state,” President Xi promised Longwangmiao villagers.

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