China is "confident" and "effective" to tsunami victims in international assistance

In a situation of the globalization in economy no country can exist in the world free from the help of other countries and nations. The Chinese rescuing team sent to Indonesia is the first of the international rescuing teams that arrived in the country, the Tsunami-devastated one in South and Southwest Asia. Zhang Guoqing, professor with the School of Governmental Management, Peking University, accepted an exclusive interview given by People's Daily, during which he talked freely about the relief work China has done for the countries hit by the massive earthquake and tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.

Reporter: Professor Zhang, could you say something on the necessity of international aid in terms of the tsunamis that happened in the Indian Ocean?

Zhang Guoqing: Every government around the globe has become the principal part of the current tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, the international aid organizations such as the UN and International Red Cross also engaged themselves into the relief work for the victims.

In recent years, neither a country nor a nation could exist free of help by other countries and nations in consideration of the international situation of economic globalization, the unprecedented advancement in communication technology, the shortening of distance between people and the inevitable human mutual dependence and contact.

Taking the tsunamis in the Indian Ocean for example, we realized that the life of the people is invaluable. Should the rescuing work be delayed, the death toll in the disaster-stricken countries would undoubtedly rise high; let alone the possible epidemic after the catastrophe. The acceleration of the relief work to the tsunami-hit regions is the only effective way to keep the death toll from increasing. Based on this conception, countries across the world and international society provide timely assistance to the tsunami-affected areas. Just like an old Chinese saying goes, "the overturned cart ahead is a warning for the one behind". The tropic storm in Bangladesh several years ago claimed totally over 200,000 lives due to the delay of rescuing work.

Meanwhile, the development of modern society and technology has made the international aid possible in terms of material and technology. What's more important is that, under the background of economic globalization, the conception of peace and mutual aid has become the trend of the times, which provide conditions for the expansion of international aid.

Always being the first country to respond to the call from international organization to increase donations, China now has become one of the largest humanitarian support organizations worldwide.

Reporter: Could you say something on what role China has played as regards the frequent participation into the international aid in recent years?

Zhang Guoqing: In recent year, China has become one of the largest humanitarian support organizations in the world, and China has always taken the lead in response to the call from international organizations to increase donations though still being a developing country. Currently, China mainly takes part in some donations orientated to certain regions by the UN, as well as the aid to some countries in terms of food shortages, basic sanitation, education and poverty-alleviation, for instance, the earthquake in Iraq and the food aid to Africa.

In the past four years, most of China's accumulative donation of 5 million US dollars to the UN World Food Programme has been used in projects in Africa. After the Beslan hostage incidence, China was the first country to offer full support and donate relief materials worth of RMB 10 million yuan to Russian. Since the large-scale conflict between Palestine and Israel occurred in 2000, China has provided humanitarian aid to Palestine, and increased the amount of donation in response to international appeal in 2003. China also provided Afghanistan with the aid given gratis worth of 1,500 million US dollars without any additional condition. Currently, the international aid has become the demonstration of a country's overall strengthen and national image.

Reporter: Since Chinese government has participated in the international aid campaign this time could tell us what it implies?

Zhang Guoqing: In a sense, the current international aid has developed into a kind of peaceful competition and demonstration of a country's overall strengthen and national image. The constant expansion of the international aid represents the trend of times featuring peaceful development, mutual cooperation. As for the donation to the victims of natural disasters, the relief materials Chinese government has donated this time set an unprecedented record in terms of scale, content and form and strength as well.

Reporter: It is said that the relief work is unusual. Could you elaborate in which ways it is unusual?

Zhang Guoqing: Actually there are many reasons behind this donation. First of all, from the perspective of technology, Chinese government has achieved great progress in terms of dealing with accidents and public crises. Therefore, Chinese government has not only contributed its "heart" but also its "might" to the international aid. The Chinese rescuing team sent to Indonesia is the first team that arrived in the Tsunami-devastated countries in South and Southwest Asia. Being a Chinese, I come up with the following conclusion: Chinese government enjoyed the advantages of quick in action, advanced technologies and professional personnel in the relief work of tsunami disaster. If a same catastrophe occurs in China, Chinese government would also take quick measures in coping with it. Apart from that, Chinese government always take first and foremost the people into consideration, showing a great attention to the ordinary life. The deep and correct understanding of a problem can only be obtained through the oncrete experience of the people.

From the perspective of governmental politics, China is duty-bound to lend a hand to the neighbors hit by tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. Just like the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, China, though being a developing, still took part in international aid.

What's more important is that a timely help offered is the strong help, indicating China's sense of responsibility. Affecting many countries and bringing heavy losses to the countries in the Indian regions, the tsunamis have become an international problem. As for those big countries that advocated peaceful development and just returned to international mainstream society must adopt a friendly and an equal attitude to cope with international relations. Being a great nation in favor of peaceful development, China has adopted correct attitude in dealing with the relations with other countries and the Chinese government has made a correct decision.

By People's Daily Online