Chinese premier meets earthquake survivors

CHINESE President Hu Jintao met with earthquake survivors yesterday in a remote, mountainous Tibetan region where rescue supplies were arriving at a faster pace.

Hu cut short an official trip to South America to deal with the disaster, which killed more than 1,700 people in western China. Amid heavy security, Hu visited a village on the outskirts of Jiegu then headed to a field hospital beside the Jiegu sports stadium.

Crowds of patients and visitors craned their necks to catch a glimpse of Hu as he chatted with medical staff and rescue teams for about 15 minutes. He took no questions and did not speak with journalists.