China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin said here Saturday that quake relief work in Sichuan has moved ahead effectively and orderly and made great progress.

The provincial government acted fast and well organized rescue and relief, said Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on the third day of his journey in Sichuan.

So far people remained clam and local society was stable, he said, adding that local governments and Party organs passed the critical test in the major earthquake.

On Saturday morning, Jia visited Beichuan county, one of the worst hit areas.

Facing such a big disaster, brave Beichuan people pulled through with their own hands and, with the assistance from the government, they shall have the confidence to overcome the difficulties and rebuild the hometown, he said.

He also noted that rehabilitation projects should take account of protecting the ethnic culture as Beichuan was one of the habitats of Qiang ethnic minority.

His next stop was Qingchuan county. A few minutes after his arrival by helicopter, the county was hit by a 4.1-magnitude aftershock.

Most of Party and government officials had been working in the front line since the quake and won trust from the people by their deeds, Jia said.

He shook hands with Cao Jianzhong, the party head of Shazhou town of Qingchuan, who had kept working though suffering injury.

"You have worked very hard. You are our model," Jia told him.

Party members, especially officials, should work in the front line and spare no efforts to local people solve problems, he said.

Jia arrived in Sichuan Province on Thursday afternoon.

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2008)