Rescue lessons lost in party line

A new national hero has been created as part of the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to transform the most devastating natural disasters of the decade into a patriotic campaign to unite the nation.

The late Gao Jiancheng, a 32-year-old PLA lieutenant, was hailed by the Central Military Commission as a 'flood combat hero' - the first and only such title conferred by President Jiang Zemin for PLA officers.

Supervised by the party central, the People's Daily accorded front page coverage to Gao's gallantry. As political instructor of an anti-aircraft company, he had insisted on being in command of a mission in protecting a dyke in Jiayu County, Hebei Province, even though he had been suffering from a fever for days.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, the rescue team was poorly equipped and Gao had given his life jacket to a novice. He also insisted to be the last to retreat when they were forced to abandon their vehicles.

During the two-hour crisis, he was heard shouting to the soldiers: 'We can definitely get over this, as long as the party cadres are around.' Gao, exhausted, was swept away by the currents after saving eight civilians and his colleagues.

Gao's widow appeared in a fund-raising gala televised by the China Central Television (CCTV) on Sunday. She told the audience she was grateful to the party and the government for having taken care of her family.

Mrs Gao also contributed her savings to the relief fund. The initiative raised more than 200 million yuan for the Yangtze flood victims.