Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping(2nd R), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, talks to students of a college during his visit to the quake-affected Hanzhong of northwest China's Shaanxi Province yesterday. --Xinhua

Vice President Xi Jinping has called on Communist Party of China (CPC) members to take the lead in relieving the after-effects of the earthquake that has claimed more than 34,000 lives.

Xi, also a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, made the remark when presiding over a meeting for Party building yesterday.

He said relief work was at a crucial stage one week after the quake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province, stressing that all Party members should get on the front line.

The Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee has ordered the Party's organization organs at all levels to quickly mobilize Party members and officials at the grassroots level to devote themselves to disaster relief.

As of Sunday, those working with the central government and Party departments and their affiliates in Beijing had donated 868 million yuan (about 124 million U.S. dollars) to the quake areas.

"The quake has been a practical and direct test of Party members, officials and the Party's organizations," Xi said.

Party organs should make comprehensive plans and take all factors -- including saving lives, providing materials, preventing epidemics and rebuilding -- into consideration, he said.

Xi urged Party members and officials to be real pioneers in fighting the quake and leading the public with relief work, adding that the relief should kept organized.

He also asked Party members and officials in systems of civil affairs, public health, education, transportation and justice to carry out their respective duties.

He Guoqiang, secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC, asked discipline organs at all levels to intensify supervision over the implementation of the Party's central deployment of disaster relief in quake-hit areas.

In attending the meeting, He urged discipline organs to make close watch to the storage and management of the fund and materials raised for quake relief and seriously punish any defalcation or embezzlement of the fund and materials.

Xi Jinping flew to quake-hit Shaanxi Province after the meeting, in an effort to comfort the disaster-struck people and guide relief work.

The quake jolted 89 counties, destroyed major roads and claimed113 lives in the province as of 9 pm yesterday. A total of 1,129,000 people have been evacuated.

Visiting a college of Hanzhong City, Xi asked local officials and college faculty to resume classes by all means for the students and start reconstruction as soon as possible.

The vice president also met some survivors who were treated in the central hospital of the city and urged medical staff to take good care of them.