President Hu urges PLA to work hard

President Hu Jintao, who's also Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission, has urged the People's Liberation Army and armed police to devote themselves to the campaign against the natural disaster affecting large parts of China.

The Central Military Commission has asked the PLA and the armed police forces to follow Hu Jintao's directions. The military says it will work harder to relieve hardships in the disaster-hit areas.

More than 250,000 PLA members have been mobilized. Over 1,000 army officers are working and directing disaster relief work. The Air Force has sent five large aircraft and a number of helicopters to carry relief materials to the disaster-hit areas.