Senior Chinese leader Li Changchun arrived in Mianyang city of southwestern China's Sichuan Province Sunday afternoon to direct quake relief work.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will visit local residents and convey his condolences to the quake victims there.

The death toll in the earthquake that jolted Sichuan Province and some other areas on May 12 has risen to 69,016 by Sunday noon.

(Xinhua News Agencies June 1, 2008)