Chinese leaders visit disaster-hit regions on holiday eve

Chinese President Hu Jintao helps soldiers load relief supplies to a helicopter on Tuesday. (Xinhua Photo)

At a farmer's house, Hu said to the family: "We were very concerned for you when we were in Beijing."

He told officials in company that current priorities were to have people's livelihood well arranged.

Officials should make sure that local people had enough food, clothes and quilts, and when they were sick they would be timely treated, Hu ordered.

On Wednesday afternoon, Premier Wen hastened to the eastern province of Jiangxi and visited Fuzhou City, which has been in the dark for more than 20 days.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (R Front) greets people at Guanyin Village of Longli County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on Feb. 5, 2008. Premier Wen Jiabao made an inspection tour in Guizhou, one of the worst hit provinces amid China's weather disaster, and extended festival greetings to local people on Feb. 5, ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. (Xinhua Photo)

Learning that electricity was expected to be restored at about 8 p.m. Wednesday, Wen said that he felt reassured. He also showed concern about agriculture, urging local farmers to prepare seeds and fertilizer for the spring planting season.

Then Wen visited Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, where he had Lunar New Year's eve dinner with students who couldn't go home.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (2nd L) tries to climb up a hill to reach a power repair site and see the workers, in southern Guizhou Province, southwest China, Feb. 5, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Both leaders seized every chance to boost public morale on this special day, something they had been doing in the past weeks.

Hu stressed that the public should hold the firm belief of victory over the weather disaster.

"We lost much in the weather disaster... but we also got many things, such as courage, will and the ability to overcome difficulties. Amid the disaster, relations between officials and the masses strengthened and people became more united," Wen said.