Chinese Premier visits flood-stricken south China city

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C, front) talks with local villagers in Wuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, during his inspection tour to the city July 3, 2005.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday visited Wuzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a city ravaged by the worst flooding in 100 years last month.

Wen first visited the soldiers who were working to reinforce a major dike and thanked them for their contribution to safeguarding the people's life and property.

He also asked them to take care of themselves working under the high temperature.

When he was among the local residents and farmers whose houses or crops were damaged by the flooding, the premier asked the local officials to ensure supply of enough food, clothing and clean water to them.

Before leaving the city for Kunming in neighboring Yunnan Province to attend the second summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program, Wen urged local officials to do their best and rely on the people to ensure the safety of the dikes.

Big floods following heavy rains have hit 26 towns in the city since last month, victimizing more than 1.27 million people and causing economic losses valued at tens of millions of US dollars.

Source: Xinhua