published by: China News Digest, Thursday, December 28, 1995

[CND, 12/16/95) -- JIANG Zemin, the president of China and general secretary of Chinese Communist Party, reminded the party officials and the "well-off" families about the poverty level that "tens of millions of people" are still living in China's remote provinces, according to Agence France Presse (AFP). The statement was made after JIANG's five-day inspection trip to Shaanxi and Gansu in north-western China. JIANG's worry conincides with the growing concern in the government circle over the potential threats to the national stability posed by the widening gap between the nation's poor and the rich populations. During his trip, JIANG was reported "levelled fields" with the villagers and handed out "cotton-padded coats" to children, according to AFP citing the Xinhua news agency.

(WU Fang, Daluo JIA)