CGTN publishes an article on Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to a village in northeast China's Liaoning Province, which was heavily affected by floods last August. The article highlights the president's tradition of visiting ordinary citizens ahead of the Spring Festival, reviews heartwarming moments from his visits, and explains how Xi's actions reinforce his commitment to ensuring a happy life for the people.

BEIJING, Jan. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With just over a week until the Spring Festival, the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar, families affected by flooding in Zhujiagou Village, northeast China's Liaoning Province, are preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year in new homes.

Last August, torrential rains lashed Liaoning's Suizhong County, triggering severe flooding and heavily affecting the lives of as many as 185,000 residents in 110 villages across 10 townships. The low-lying Zhujiagou Village was among the hardest-hit areas, with roads destroyed, over 70 hectares of farmlands inundated, and more than 50 homes damaged – 41 of which were deemed unsafe for repair.

The 186 villagers from the 41 affected households were collectively relocated to a new site on higher ground. A construction project then began in early September to ensure residents could have a roof over their heads before the arrival of the cold winter in northeast China. By October 24, 2024, all these villagers had moved into newly-built homes.

Braving freezing temperatures, President Xi Jinping took time out of his busy schedule to visit the villagers in Zhujiagou on Wednesday.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, inspected the progress in post-disaster restoration and reconstruction and asked locals about the quality of the reconstructed homes and the standards of their daily living conditions.  

"Huludao suffered severe flooding last year. I have been concerned about you and came to see you before the Spring Festival," Xi told the villagers.

"What I've seen today makes me feel relieved," he added.

'People can always count on Party, government'

Noting a number of natural disasters that occurred across the country last year, Xi on Wednesday expressed his belief that restoration and reconstruction in the affected areas will yield good results.

"We have always put the people first," Xi said. "The people can always count on the Party and the government in their most difficult times, and we will help them overcome difficulties and rebuild their homes."

Looking back at the footprints of the president's visits ahead of the Spring Festival, "post-disaster reconstruction" has been a major corner to be addressed head-on.

In addition to the recent visit to Zhujiagou, last February Xi visited those affected by the floods in Diliubu Village, Tianjin Municipality. As he told the villagers, "Only when the people are secure can the country prosper," adding that the Party's central leadership has "made a resolution to improve the livelihood of the people by striving to enhance the construction of water conservancy and flood control projects."

Back in January 2022, he braved the snow to visit people in a small village called Fengnanyuan in north China's Shanxi Province that had been hit hard by autumn floods. "The CPC's resolve to ensure all Chinese people live happy lives has remained unchanged for more than a century, and it will not falter," said Xi.

He also visited Yingxiu, a township in Wenchuan County of Sichuan Province in February 2018, which was the epicenter of a major earthquake that claimed the lives of tens of thousands in 2008. "My job is to serve the people," Xi said during the visit.

Spending time with people

The visit to Liaoning continues a tradition Xi has maintained for 13 consecutive years: visiting people at the primary and grassroots level ahead of Spring Festival, leaving many heartwarming moments.

During a pre-festival inspection in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province in January 2017, Xi visited Desheng Village, where he helped a villager meticulously calculate household income and expenses.

In February 2016, Xi visited Shenshan Village in Jiangxi Province and joined the villagers in making the festive snack ciba, a traditional glutinous rice cake. He quipped that pounding the snack with a mallet was a good workout.

When inspecting northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in January 2014, Xi went to a children's welfare home where he used sign language to interact with the hearing-impaired. In his latest New Year message, Xi Jinping again stressed that "of all the jobs in front of us, the most important is to ensure a happy life for our people." The president's busy schedule is a vivid demonstration of actions backing up words.

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