Vice Premier Inspects Droughts in Northeast ChinaVice-Premier Wen Jiabao went on a study tour of northeast China's Jilin and Liaoning provinces, from June 15-17, to inspect the severe drought situation that has been attacking most parts of northern China.Wen, who is a member of both the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visited local villages and talked with local officials on dealing with the situation. In his talks, the vice premier urged local CPC committees and governments at different levels to earnestly implement the essence of the recently-held State Council conference on the issues and make greater efforts to fight against the droughts and reduce losses to a minimum through every means. He called for tax holidays for local farmers who have suffered big losses due to the droughts and a stop to all government charges. Jilin and Liaoning have experienced lingering droughts over the past few years, resulting in enormous difficulties for local production and life. Some urban and rural residents are suffering from a shortage of drinking water and large areas of farmland have witnessed bad harvests due to the shortage of irrigation water. |
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