Chinese Premier chats with disaster-hit locals over radio

12-26-2010 11:17 BJT

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao chatted with local residents in disaster-hit regions during an inspection to the China National Radio (CNR) on Sunday morning.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived at the China National Radio (CNR) to start an inspection Sunday morning.

In the CNR live broadcasting program, which revisited people affected by major natural disasters, Wen said hello to audience nationwide.

"Radio can not only let the people hear the voice of the Party and government immediately but also instantly deliver people's request, expectation and opinions to the Party and government," said Wen, a radio audience of 50 years.

In the live broadcasting, Wen got a call-in from a resident at a village named Donghekou in Qingchuan county of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

"Last September when Premier visited our village, I did not have the chance to talk with you. Today I am very happy and exciting to get the chance," said Wang Juncheng, Donghekou village party chief in the radio chat with Wen.

Donghekou village suffered a casualty of 400 people out of its 1,100 villagers in the devastating earthquake on May 12, 2008.

In September, 2009, Wen dropped by the village in an inspection on the rehabilitation work in Sichuan.

"The construction of permanent houses in our village started after your visit. This Spring all the villagers have moved into new permanent houses," Wang said.

He told Wen that he has moved into a two-floor house with four rooms and many of his neighbors have grown vegetables and raised pigs in the courtyards of their house.

"I am happy to learn that they have good houses and plenty of foods for the coming Spring Festival," Wen said. "Let's pray together for those passing away in the earthquake and wish the surviving ones a better life."

CNR, China's only national radio network having 700 million audience, has celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding on Dec. 17.

The Communist Party of China has a long tradition of airing its voice through radio to cover the vast territory. It is still one of the most useful means despite the coming of the Internet age.