Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday urged scientists and experts to intensify the research on earthquake and provide better warnings.

Wen made the remark while presiding over a meeting of the earthquake relief headquarters of the State Council held at China Seismological Bureau (CSB).

After staying in the disaster-hit areas in Sichuan Province to oversee relief and rescue work for 88 hours right after the earthquake on May 12, the premier came back to Beijing on May 16.

Wen, also head of headquarters, called on Chinese scientists and experts to intensify the monitoring on aftershocks and provide reliable early warning information.

All seismological departments and observatories should make more measurements on possible aftershocks and analysis of their directions of development, Wen said.

The headquarters decided to establish a special committee consisting of seismological experts across the country for earthquake research and disaster relief.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2008)