President Hu Jintao visited two tent manufacturers in east China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday, urging them to produce as many as possible to meet needs of the quake survivors.

Since the massive earthquake destroyed many houses, and reconstruction would take time, tents would become makeshift shelters for homeless people in these regions.

The government said it needs some 3 million tents to house the nearly 5 million people displaced by the massive May 12 earthquake in southwestern Sichuan Province. Many outdoor travel products and supplies companies have been enlisted to manufacture tents.

Hu visited two manufacturers in Zhejiang and urged them to ensure the quality of their products while speeding up production.

"We still face the arduous task of rescue and relief and we especially need lots of tents to accommodate homeless people," he said. "To produce more tents will be the greatest care shown to survivors and the greatest contribution to the rescue and relief."

Considering the frequent rain in the quake-hit regions, Hu went to the workshop for waterproof testing and reminded workers to ensure the quality of their product to enable quake survivors have safe, durable tents.

Upon hearing that many workers came from the quake region, he asked if they had been able to contact their families.

"I just came back from Sichuan and tents are extremely needed there. Every tent you produce can help several townsmen of yours," he said.

After touring the two companies, Hu held a meeting with local officials and heard a report on tent production by local officials and company heads.

He asked local officials to fulfill their obligations and ensure the good quality and timely delivery of tents.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2008)