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China's feats in post-quake reconstruction appreciated |
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15:57, May 12, 2009 |
China's earthquake response and reconstruction feats are appreciated by friends, the overseas Chinese and foreign nationals of Chinese descent worldwide on the occasion of the first anniversary of a devastating quake that ravaged Wenchuan country in southwestern Sichuan province and nearby areas. These people, while mourning those killed in the quake, today highly appraise the Chinese government for its openness and efficiency in its rescue and relief effort and post-quake reconstruction.
Rowan Callick, once a noted resident reporter of the "Australian News" in China, kept up with coverage in the quake-struck areas after the quake occurred. The Chinese government's prompt, active response to the aid effort of the international community and open approach to media reporters and volunteers one year ago deserve commendation, he said in an article to mark the first anniversary of the Wenchuan quake.
Meanwhile, Prof. Madhu Bhalla with the Center for East Asia Studies at elite Delhi University, India told a People Daily reporter in a recent interview that the self-confident, open attitude of the Chinese government is very "impressive". First of all, he noted, it opened up to the media. Shortly after the quake, he recalled, news coverage on the quake-hit areas soon appeared on the mainstream media in China and overseas. Secondly, it opened to the international assistance, and China accepted or admitted such aid on the basis of "self-reliance", he said, and this reduced or alleviated losses inflicted by the disaster to a great extent.
Steven McGrew, a blacksmith from Spokane, Washington, in the U.S., has reportedly donated a six-feet (about 1.8 meters) dandelion sculpture to Wenchuan's Earthquake Museum, and it is said to display at the museum at present. He made the unique sculpture in memory of those died in the catastrophic Wenchuan quake.
After listening to "Elegy" on their website after his wife, Sharon McGrew, heart it on the radio, Steven took the image of dandelion and transformed into silver and steel. He forged a stalk, leaves and a dandelion blossom. For the seeds of the blossom, he used bicycles brake cable with the ends frayed out to a standalone shifter as if they had gone with the wind.
Mr. Beili Ling, a senior member of the Chinese General Federation of Commerce in Indonesia, said joyously that he had seen on TV and learnt from his friends that row after row of new, neat houses had sprung up from the rubble. "We Chinese living overseas admire and feel amazing with the Chinese government's post-quake rescue and relief work," he said.
Ms. Yuling Chen, an eminent Chinese African woman entrepreneur, has donated 110,000 rand to the quake-struck areas in western China on four occasions last year, and she also followed closely with reconstruction work of the disaster areas in the past year. On her deepest impression of the post-quake reconstruction, she spoke highly of the happy, contented life of kids orphanized in the disaster areas and fast progress in the development of housing projects there.
Overseas Chinese and South Africans of the Chinese origin have vied with one another to donate for quake victims in a bid to help the quake-hit areas with reconstruction. The unprecedented donation in such a scale had lasted for more than five months last year and, by October, China's Consulate General in Johannesburg accepted donations worth 8.2 million rand.
Chinese embassy in South Africa lately granted these beloved donators certificates on behalf of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. On this special event, Chinese Consular General in Johannesburg Fang Li said: These certificates have been brought to them from thousands of miles away for the sole purpose of extending thanks and gratitude to them.
By People's Daily Online and contributed by PD overseas resident reporters overseas Li Yuan, Guan Kejiang, Ren Yan, Pei Guangjiang, Sun Tianren and Li Wenzheng
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2009-05/12/content_251083.htm
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