Senior Party official Luo Gan has called for effort to resolve problems arising in the economic and social life so as to maintain social stability on the basis of a harmonious society.

Luo, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the call during an inspection tour of Yunnan Province in southwest China between July 8 and 12. During the tour, Luo, concurrently secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Central Committee, visited local factories and villages as well as some law-enforcement units.

While talking with local officials, Luo urged them to help solve problems of the ordinary people of various nationalities and rein in factors of instability from the source. Work must be done to ensure housing, food, clothing and the children's education for victims of a major mud-rock flow that hit Denghong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture recently.

Luo also stressed it was a long-term, arduous job to fight against drug trafficking, saying the performance of Yunnan in this regard has a bearing with the nation's war on drug. He urged local people to be aware of the importance of the current anti-drug campaign.

Yunnan is home to 21 of China's 55 ethnic minorities and share a lone border with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, and thus has been used as a major route by drug traffickers traveling between the Golden Triangle and China.

(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2004)