The top Sichuan leader said in a New Year thank-you message that the disastrous tremor on May 12 in the southwestern province had left no famine, epidemic and refugees.

"I'd like to express heart-felt thanks and New Year's greetings to those across the world who have contributed to our quake relief efforts," said Liu Qibao, secretary of the Communist Party of China Sichuan Provincial Committee, in the message broadcast by the Xinhua website, www.xinhuanet.com, dated December 31.

Liu said measures have been taken to properly relocate 4.5 million households worst hit by the magnitude-8.0 earthquake, which left at least 87,000 deaths or missing, millions homeless, and a huge loss worth 845 billion yuan (US$123.7 billion).

He said reconstruction is in full swing in the quake-hit areas and the provincial government is making every effort to help the quake-affected people, particularly during the winter.

"We have strong minds and brave hearts, and we're making our new homes more beautiful," Liu said in the message.

Liu cultivated a recent habit to send messages to netizens. Before 2008, Liu, also via the Xinhua news portal, responded to netizens' advice on how to speed up economic and social development in the backcountry with a population of more than 88 million, which is bigger than most countries in the world.

(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2009)