Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Hu Jintao visited Tangshan, north China, a city rebuilt on the ruins of a catastrophic earthquake 30 years ago in Hebei Province, on July 28-29.

 

On Friday night President Hu visited the city's sanatorium where people who became paraplegic as the result of the earthquake. He met with sanatorium management and extended his best regards to children and adults there. 

 

On July 28, 1976, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake leveled the industrial city of Tangshan killing 240,000 people and seriously injuring over 160,000 others.

 

The sanatorium, built by donations from people from all walks of life, has a special name -- "The Recovering Village". About two weeks ago more than 40 village paralytics wrote to President Hu asking him to visit Tangshan and "listen to what the paralytics have to say from the deepest of their hearts."

 

In the meantime, children from the "Little Doctor" kindergarten also wrote a letter to President Hu inviting him to listen to the stories made up by them. Together with the letter was a drawing by the kids of blue skies, flowers in blossom, little birds flying around, high buildings and children playing happily. 

 

During the visit Hu called on the 55-year-old village chief Yang Changlu. Yang told the president that the paralytic people had a good life in the sanatorium and many had learned skills such as lock repairing and key-making.

 

"Your strong spirit is truly respected," Hu commented. 

 

The president noted that 30 years ago the earthquake had turned the city into ruins. The people in Tangshan had worked assiduously to rebuild a new dynamic city. He was pleased to see those who had been injured in the earthquake were well taken care of and that a new generation of Tangshan residents was growing up happily.

Earlier Friday, President Hu placed a basket of flowers at the Earthquake Monument in downtown Tangshan. During his stay in the city the president met with representatives of the rescue teams and those building the new Tangshan. He extended great respect to them on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. He urged them to make every possible contribution to building the new Tangshan.

 

Hu also told local government and Party committee officials to continue assisting people who'd been injured in the earthquake.

During his tour the president visited the Caofeidian Industrial Zone where a giant steel complex is to be built jointly by the Shougang Steel Group, which is moving out of Beijing for environmental reasons, and the Tangshan Steel Company.

 

Hu urged those involved to build the industrial zone into a model for such developments under the guidance of the Scientific Concept of Development.

 

In a visit to the Fengliusha Village he showed great interest in rural development. He called for respect for the wishes of farmers and serious efforts to assist resolve their difficulties.

 

The president urged officials of Tangshan City and Hebei Province to earnestly carry out central government's policy of macroeconomic regulation, make active adjustments to the local economic structure and investment mix, curb excessive growth in fixed asset investment and achieve high-quality and efficient economic growth.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2006)