President Xi stresses rehabilitation in quake area

CHENGDU - President Xi Jinping has asked local governments in Southwest China's Sichuan province, which was hit by a strong earthquake last month, to shift their focus to rehabilitation.

During a visit to hard-hit Lushan County, Xi urged local governments to carefully evaluate the damage and draft a rehabilitation plan based on local conditions.

The rehabilitation program should not only consider local economic and social conditions, but also provide a chance for quake-hit areas to upgrade and realize sustainable growth, Xi said.

Local governments should create preferential rehabilitation policies targeting investment, taxation, land use, employment and social security, he said.

Rehabilitation should also include the participation of the private sector and local residents, he said.

"We should encourage local people's initiative to help themselves, to rebuild their local economy and improve their own livelihood," he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) talks with quake-affected residents at a temporary shelter for them in Lushan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 21, 2013. Xi made an inspection tour to hard-hit Lushan county and visited local residents from May 21 to May 23. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Lushan on April 20, killing at least 196 people.  [Photo/Xinhua]