| Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday asked | | | | with you," he said. "We will try every effort to save |
| rescuers to use "every available means" to reach | | | | your people once there is the slightest hope and |
| every village affected by the May 12 earthquake in | | | | possibility." |
| southwest China. | | | | Hu also hugged an 8-year-old boy when visiting a |
| "We must try every method to send rescuers to | | | | family in the camp and told him, "You must learn to |
| every quake-hit village, instead of just working in | | | | be brave and not to surrender to difficulties even if |
| towns and cities, since a large number of soldiers | | | | you are a child. We shall have confidence, courage |
| have entered the quake-hit regions," said Hu, while | | | | and strength." |
| visiting Yinghua township of Shifang city, Sichuan | | | | The president told people living in the town that |
| Province. | | | | more than 100,000 troopers of the People's |
| More than 32,000 people have been confirmed dead | | | | Liberation Army and armed policemen have been |
| in the 8.0-magnitude earthquake hitting northwest | | | | assembled and on their ways to each quake-hit |
| Sichuan. Shifang is one of the cities seriously | | | | villages. |
| damaged. | | | | Hu Jintao arrived in the quake-hit province on May 16 |
| Hu asked local officials to dispatch rescue teams and | | | | to oversee disaster rescue, relieving Premier Wen |
| materials waiting in the cities and counties to towns | | | | Jiabao who had stayed there for about 88 hours |
| and villages as soon as possible to collect damages | | | | after the quake. |
| and real situations at grassroots. | | | | Walking over the rubble of a fertilizer factory building, |
| "We must send rescue teams, carrying food and | | | | Hu told the rescuers working at the site that every |
| drinking water, to the worst-hit villages, even on | | | | trapped person was counting on them and they |
| foot, as soon as possible," Hu said, traveling on | | | | should seize every second to work as time was |
| bumpy roads to visit one quake-hit villages to | | | | limited. |
| another, comforting victims and encouraging rescuers. | | | | "I truly believe that the heroic Chinese people will not |
| He was surrounded by wailing women when he | | | | yield to any difficulty!" he shouted to a group of |
| visited a temporary shelter camp at Yinghua. | | | | rescuers. |
| "I know you lost family and property. I share the pain | | | | |