SHIJIAZHUANG - Chinese Communist Party chief Xi Jinping has urged local authorities to escalate poverty-alleviation efforts during a weekend tour to improvised villages in north China.

Braving snowy and chilly weather, Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Sunday morning visited farmer homes at Luotuowan and Gujiatai villages in Fuping, a mountain-locked county in Hebei province.

During chats with villagers, Xi paid special attention to difficulties in their daily life, such as problems concerning income, food, education and medical care.

Xi told local officials to always bear in mind the impoverished people and work wholeheartedly to help them.

Local Party and government authorities should place the mission of helping people out of poverty in more important position, he said.