Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan highlighted efforts to ensure drinking water safety during an inspection tour in Qinhuangdao of north China's Hebei Province Friday.

Zeng said the "drinking water safety is very important to people's health, which should top the agenda of city construction and administration."

To safeguard drinking water safety and protect the benefits of people will support the sustainable development of China, he said while inspecting the project of diverting water from the local Qinglong River to Qinhuangdao and other water conservancy projects.

He praised the local officials' efforts to safeguard drinking water safety for people and encourage them to continue supervision.

Qinhuangdao, 380 kilometers from Beijing, was once hit by severe water shortage. Work on a water project to divert water from Qinglong River in northeastern Hebei to Qinhuangdao was completed in 1991.

(Xinhua News Agency August 11, 2007)