The General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China has urged its flood control army officers to realize the importance of their work.

In a recent circular, it said officers should be aware of the severity of the situation of flood prevention and control. The work was of critical importance to maintaining the country's overall stability, laying the groundwork for a successful Olympics and boosting economic and social development.

It asked officers to treat flood-control tasks seriously as they did for the quake-relief work surrounding the May 12 magnitude-8.0 earthquake in the southwestern Sichuan.

The notice also called for the troops to make quake-relief officers their role models and put citizen's interests first.

More spotlight and coverage should be given to pioneers in the process of flood control so as to prompt the soldiers' high morale, it noted.

Further efforts should be made to mobilize and save the masses, it said, adding the army should be united with the people and give full play to the roles of the paramilitary.

Continuous rain had swept much of southern China over the past week, killing more than 60 people. The deluge had swamped millions of acres of farmland and caused billions of yuan in property damage.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2008)