YINCHUAN, July 27 -- Hu Chunhua, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has urged more efforts to address weak links in the country's poverty alleviation campaign, including drinking water safety in the impoverished areas.

Hu, also chief of the State Council's leading group of poverty alleviation and development, made the remarks during an inspection tour from Friday to Saturday in the city of Guyuan in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

After visits to some impoverished villages, Hu said efforts should be made to ensure compulsory education, basic medical care, and housing for the rural poor, while drinking water safety should be guaranteed.

The country's central authorities should speed up the implementation of poverty relief policies, while local governments should increase fund use efficiency, he said.