Xi calls for creating a new chapter in Sichuan's development

On June 8, Xi, accompanied by Wang Xiaohui, Party secretary of Sichuan Province and Huang Qiang, governor of the province, made a fact-finding trip to Meishan, Yibin, and other places. Xi went to a village, a cultural relic protection site, a university, and a company.

On June 1, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Ya'an City, Sichuan Province. Xi immediately gave important instructions, requiring Sichuan provincial committee of the CPC and Sichuan provincial people's government to spare no effort in disaster rescue and relief, consoling the families of the earthquake victims. Medical care to the injured should be provided in a timely manner and arrangements made to help those affected by the earthquake, secondary disasters should be prevented, reconstruction be well planned and normal order of life and production be restored as soon as possible, Xi required.

The central departments concerned immediately activated the national level-3 earthquake emergency response and local authorities lost no time in coordinating disaster rescue and relief work. Efforts have been made to ensure all channels are open to save people's lives, the injured are well attended to, and those affected by the earthquake are relocated and resettled in a timely manner. Currently, most residents from earthquake-hit areas have returned to their homes. The province has de-activated the emergency response and shifted the focus to post-disaster recovery and reconstruction.

During his visit in Sichuan, Xi has been concerned with the treatment of those injured in the earthquake and how people lead their lives as well as how the production is in the earthquake-hit areas. He inquired about detailed information on the disaster relief work and urged local authorities time and again to ensure the injured are well attended to, to pay attention to people's psychological counseling, and make well-considered arrangements for the victims of the disaster and the consoling of the victims' family. The supply of daily necessities in the earthquake-hit areas should be guaranteed. Sound planning and solid work should be carried out to reconstruct the earthquake-hit areas so that people can resume normal life and production as soon as possible, Xi stressed.