Soldiers of armed police force carry disaster-relief resources at the Longdongbao airport in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou province, Jan. 31, 2008. Some 120,000 clothes and quilts pooled by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and PLA General Staff Headquarters were airlifted to Guizhou for people suffering from severe snowstorm and frost Wednesday.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed 251,000 soldiers to battle the chaos caused by the unusually heavy snow around the southern part of the country by 1 a.m. on Friday, according to a military source.

    The PLA's emergency response group also announced 772,000 militia and army reservists were participating in the fight against the extreme weather.

    More than 100 aircraft and helicopters are on standby, according to air force sources.

    The snow, the heaviest in decades in many places, has been falling in China's eastern, central and southern regions for more than a fortnight. It has caused death, structural collapse, blackouts, accidents, transport problems and livestock and crop destruction.

    The PLA currently has 2.3 million troops, according to a White Paper on China's National Defense.

Leaders' visits boost morale amid China's winter-weather crisis

Chinese President Hu Jintao asks the miners to produce as much coal as they could safely to provide more fuel for generating electricity amid a nation-wide shortage.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Amid China's worst snow disaster in decades, the Chinese leaders have shown the public a hands-on approach by visiting people working on the front lines of the weather crisis. Full story

Premier Wen rushes to Hunan Province to direct disaster relief work

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (front R) waves to passengers when he visits the ticket office at a long-distance coach station of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 30, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)

    BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has rushed to Hunan to help with the central China province's disaster relief work following an unprecedented snowfall. Full story

China fights "war" against havoc caused by snow

Staffs clean snow on a railway bridge in east China's Jiangxi Province Jan. 29, 2008. Local authorities took efforts in combating snow-inflicted disasters and reducing the negative impact to the least extent as volatile weather continued to rage the region. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- China is waging all-out war against the disasters caused by heavy snow and rain in the southern provinces, with military forces and police officers getting involved. Full story

China vows to ensure supply, stable prices of farm produce threatened by snow

    BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has vowed to ensure a steady supply of farm produce, which has been threatened by the heavy snow that has fallen since mid-January, the worst in five decades. Full Story

China's air force flies winter relief materials to snow-affected areas

    BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Four Chinese air force Ilyushin II-76 military transport aircraft on Thursday began flying relief materials to south China areas affected by severe winter weather. Full Storey

China's Politburo meets on extreme weather

    BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is urging local authorities to regard disaster relief as the "most pressing task" and to make "all-out efforts" to ensure normal production and life in areas hit by unprecedented bad weather this month. Full story

Editor: An Lu