Premier Li visits quake-hit province, urges better development

Seeing the smooth roads and new houses in Lushan County, the epicenter of a strong earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2013, Premier Li Keqiang said he felt deeply relieved.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake on April 20 of 2013 killed 196 people, displaced more than 100,000 families, and destroyed roads and schools.

During his inspection tour of the province from April 24 to 26, the premier visited an earthquake memorial hall, leaving flowers for the victims and paying a silent tribute.

"Everything that the Party and the government have done is to ensure the people can live happy, content lives," Li told villagers in Lushan.

By the end of last year, new homes for 33,696 households had been completed and 16,919 substandard houses had undergone renovation.

Local authorities said the economic and social development level is now higher than that before the earthquake.

Li visited rebuilt schools, greeting children and encouraging them to work hard. During inspections of a local agricultural park and a company, he asked them to pursue green development and lead more people to wealth.

In Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan, Li encouraged local authorities to develop more zones to nurture new economic driving forces. He spoke with young entrepreneurs, and asked government staff to improve governance and services for new economic development.

Large state-owned enterprises must further reform and open up, learn and apply advanced concepts and technology from around the globe and upgrade to create world-class equipment brands, Li said while visiting an electric equipment company.

During his visit to Sichuan University, he urged the university to offer first-class subjects and make more efforts to help graduates get employed.

The premier also visited a farm produce market, where he said the mayor should be responsible for ensuring supply and food safety.

He praised Sichuan's achievements in various aspects and urged the province to adhere to the Communist Party's "roads and lines" while striving to realize the goal of building a well-off society in all respects, and better support national economic development. Endi