The Flood Control in 1998

In the summer of 1998, devastating floods inundated many of the regions south of the Yangtze River and parts of north China. Twenty-nine provinces and provincial-level administrative regions were hit, with 223 million people affected.

At the critical moment, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council took timely, comprehensive measures. Jiang Zemin and other Party and state leaders went to the front lines on several occasions, to encourage the people and offer guidance in the battle against the floods. More than 300,000 soldiers and police rushed to join the local officials and civilians in the relief effort. Together they countered the floods, eliminated threats, and safeguarded river levees, major cities and railways, as well as the lives of countless people.

On September 28, 1998, a national meeting was held in Beijing to review the battle against the floods and commend those who had been involved. Addressing the meeting, Jiang Zemin said that in the battle against the floods, the Chinese nation and people had exhibited a noble spirit – a great spirit of uniting as one, forging a powerful will, fearing no difficulty, struggling tenaciously, being firm and unflinching, and having the courage to win. Like the revolutionary spirit advocated by the Party and the pioneering spirit of the new period, the spirit of the battle against the floods was also a treasure of the Chinese people.

“九八”抗洪搶險(xiǎn)

1998年夏，中國(guó)江南、華南大部分地區(qū)及北方局部地區(qū)發(fā)生了有史以來罕見的特大洪水，全國(guó)共有29個(gè)省、自治區(qū)、直轄市遭受不同程度的洪澇災(zāi)害，受災(zāi)人口達(dá)2.23億。

面對(duì)特大洪水襲擊，中共中央、國(guó)務(wù)院審時(shí)度勢(shì)，周密部署。江澤民等黨和國(guó)家領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人多次親臨抗洪搶險(xiǎn)第一線，看望、慰問、鼓勵(lì)廣大抗洪軍民，指導(dǎo)抗洪搶險(xiǎn)斗爭(zhēng)。各級(jí)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)干部紛紛奔赴前線，同廣大軍民一道頑強(qiáng)奮戰(zhàn)。人民解放軍和武警部隊(duì)出動(dòng)30余萬官兵參加抗洪搶險(xiǎn)斗爭(zhēng)，發(fā)揮了中流砥柱的作用。在中共中央領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下，廣大軍民不畏艱險(xiǎn)、團(tuán)結(jié)奮戰(zhàn)，頂住了一次又一次洪峰的沖擊，排除了一個(gè)又一個(gè)險(xiǎn)情，確保了大江大河干堤、重要城市和鐵路干線的安全，確保了人民群眾的生命安全，取得了抗洪搶險(xiǎn)斗爭(zhēng)的重大勝利。

1998年9月28日，全國(guó)抗洪搶險(xiǎn)總結(jié)表彰大會(huì)在北京召開。江澤民發(fā)表重要講話，強(qiáng)調(diào)在同洪水搏斗中，中華民族和中國(guó)人民展現(xiàn)出了一種十分崇高的精神，這就是萬眾一心、眾志成城，不怕困難、頑強(qiáng)拼搏，堅(jiān)韌不拔、敢于勝利的偉大抗洪精神。“九八”抗洪精神同中國(guó)共產(chǎn)黨一貫倡導(dǎo)的革命精神和新時(shí)期的創(chuàng)業(yè)精神一樣，都是中國(guó)人民的寶貴精神財(cái)富。