Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called on the nation's civil affairs network to learn about people's real living situations and sincerely help solve their difficulties, calling it a major government task.

"Civil affairs work plays a very important role in building a socialist harmonious society," Wen said when he met with civil affairs workers prior to a national civil affairs meeting held on Thursday and Friday.

He said that, as Premier, he is the number one minister of civil affairs and engages in civil affairs work directly.

To do civil affairs work well, said Wen, the most important thing is to have a profound love and sincere feelings for the people, understand what they think about, reflect their thoughts and improve their well-being.

Wen set major tasks for civil affairs work at present and in the coming period, namely providing aid to people in difficulty, including childless old people and low-income groups in rural areas and urban people living on minimum subsistence allowances and jobless people, providing disaster relief, beefing up community services, promoting rural grass-roots democracy, supporting the army and helping families of soldiers and martyrs.

Addressing the meeting, Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said civil affairs work must be constantly improved in line with economic and social development.

Source: Xinhua