Chinese Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao has called for full preparations to fight against possible floods and drought this year.

In a letter to a national meeting of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (SFCDRH) held here from January 11to 13, Wen expressed his solicitude to those who work at all levels of anti-flood and anti-drought departments, and thanked them for their contributions to ensuring economic construction andthe safety of lives and property.

Wen, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said that the Party and the State Council attach great importance to their efforts. The state has greatly increased investment in water-control facility construction in the past few years, he said.

The flood control and drought relief effort should not slacken, since China is a country that has frequent flood and drought disasters, he noted.