The PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work (PLACGERRW）held the second working meeting on the morning of May 15 to convey and study the essence of the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the important instruction of President Hu Jintao on how to further improve the earthquake rescue and relief operations, and make arrangements for the rescue and relief operations for the army in the next stage.

　　Chen Binde, head of the PLA Commanding Group for Earthquake Rescue and Relief Work and chief of general staff of the PLA, pointed out that the PLA must further strengthen organization of and command over the rescue and relief operations, do everything possible to save the lives of the people, carry out emergency airlift and airdrop of relief materials, and organize well the post-disaster epidemic prevention work. In addition, it must fully foresee the tasks they are likely to undertake and the difficulties the troops likely to encounter in their actions, and must strive to have more initiatives and be more scientific in their rescue and relief operations.

　　Xu Caihou, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission stressed that it was now the crunch time for the earthquake rescue and relief work, thus the PLA must carry out political mobilization uninterruptedly, call on the whole army, especially the troops directly involved in the earthquake rescue and relief operations, to resolutely carry out the decisions and instructions of the CPC Central Committee and President Hu Jintao, throw all-out efforts into earthquake rescue and relief work. Meanwhile, it must do all its best to strengthen various supports including personnel, medical, material and equipment so that the troops would be able to accomplish their missions successfully.

　　By Xu Sheng

　　(May 16, PLA Daily)                                           Editor: Dong Zhaohui