|
HEFEI, Aug. 20-- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has instructed the armed forces to make unremitting efforts to complete the follow-up tasks of flood control and disaster relief. Xi, who was inspecting flood control and disaster relief work in east China's Anhui Province, gave the instruction on Thursday after hearing reports from the military on joining localities in battling floods across the country. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, Xi extended regards to servicemen of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police Force, and members of the militia and the reserve force, who had been fighting floods and helping with disaster relief. Xi stressed the need for the military to continue emergency rescue and disaster relief efforts, assist flood-hit areas in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, and complete the follow-up tasks of flood control and disaster relief. As of Wednesday, dispatches totaling more than 1.2 million head counts from the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force and more than 300,000 from the militia had been made in flood control missions in 17 provincial-level regions. They evacuated more than 170,000 residents, handled over 3,900 breaches and piping emergencies, and reinforced embankments of more than 900 km. Under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee, China has scored major achievements in the battle against floods, Xi said, highlighting the spearhead role of the armed forces in shouldering critical tasks. | 
