China battles winter weather chaos ahead of holiday

By Chris Buckley

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Sunday ordered urgent steps to fight transport chaos and energy and food supply strains caused by brutal winter weather, which forecasts said was likely to continue as the nation heads into a major holiday.

Heavy snow and sleet has hit central, eastern and southern China in recent days, areas used to milder winters. Dozens of people have died and many highways, railways and airports have been paralysed, especially in the east.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the weather was threatening lives and disrupting supplies of fresh food, coal, oil and electricity ahead of celebrations marking the Lunar New Year, which starts on Feb. 7. He warned worse could come.

"Urgently mobilise and work as one to wage this tough battle against disaster," Wen told officials, according to a transcript on the government Web site (www.gov.cn). "Ensure that the people enjoy a joyful and auspicious Spring Festival."

He and other top officials announced steps aimed at softening the economic blow from the bad weather and energy shortages when inflation is already a dominant worry.

Provinces were ordered not hoard their own coal and electricity, and officials said they would waive some transport charges for farm goods and monitor price hikes. Trains must cope with tens of millions of passengers surging home for the holidays, while more coal must be shipped to power plants.

The national forecasting authority said the freezing weather would continue to hit provinces from west to east over the next week, with heavy snows expected in Shanghai and neighbouring provinces -- powerhouses of business and manufacturing.

Wen said energy strains could worsen as power plants' coal reserves ran dangerously low. "The most difficult phase has not passed," he said.