Asia must unite to deal with natural disasters: China

Primastuti Handayani , The Jakarta Post , Tianjin, China | Wed, 05/21/2008 10:43 AM | World

China has called on Asian countries to join hands in handling natural disasters amid a series of devastations that have badly hit the continent in recent years.

"The ASEAN and South Korea, Japan and China must promote efforts for disaster relief and should consider carefully any efforts to deal with natural disasters like tsunamis and others," said Yi Xiaozhun, vice minister of commerce, during the Second 10+3 Media Cooperation Forum here Monday.

A 7-Richter scale earthquake struck Sichuan province last week, two weeks after Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, killing 71,000 people, and prompting President Hu Jintao to visit the victims.

The Chinese government declared a three-day mourning period in which flags will be raised to half-mast, and a three-minute silence will be held everyday from Monday to Wednesday. The Forum, attended by 30 journalists representing the 12 guest countries, Chinese press members and Chinese state officials, also observed the silence.

Linda Lee of the ASEAN Secretariat said ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan was confident the government would take care of the victims in Sichuan.

However, China has also sent a medical team to Myanmar, whose military junta has repeatedly turned down aid agencies wishing to send relief teams into the country.

"We must share our misery in such a difficult time, and build a better understanding," Yi said.

Lee also highlighted the efforts of the association in helping Myanmar, where cyclone Nargis has killed over 60,000 people, with the number expected to rise as many are still reported missing.

"There is an ASEAN-led Coalition of Mercy to bring humanitarian relief to the affected people in Myanmar. At the same time, the ASEAN Secretariat has established an emergency humanitarian relief fund for Myanmar -- the ASEAN Cooperation Fund for Disaster Assistance -- to receive contributions from friends and partners of ASEAN," she said.

"It was with the help from the media that we were able to communicate this initiative to the world at large... and to continue communicating with the world on how the ASEAN-led Coalition of Mercy is helping Myanmar to overcome this natural disaster in the long-term."