SHIJIAZHUANG, Aug. 1 -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing arrived in Xinglong County of north China's Hebei Province on Friday to visit disaster-hit residents and guide relief and recovery efforts.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, visited the hardest-hit villages, temporary shelters, and a hospital, entrusted with the task by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

He stressed the need for disaster-affected areas to make full use of specialized teams and equipment, and to continue all-out efforts to search for missing persons.

With more rainfall expected, he called for strengthened monitoring and early warning systems to guard against secondary disasters such as landslides, collapses, and mudslides.

He called on relevant departments to promptly allocate relief supplies, release emergency funds, and expedite insurance advance payments and claims.

Zhang also urged enhanced coordination in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in flood prevention and disaster mitigation, and special attention to vulnerable groups such as the elderly, the sick, and people with disabilities to ensure their timely and safe evacuation.