An earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale that jolted Wenchuan County in southwestern China on Monday has stunned the whole world. Our endeavor to minimize the losses and eventually surmount all difficulties it caused hinges on whether we have the matured wisdom and capability to respond to it. This powerful tremor has put us to the severe test in the ensuring fields:

First, putting our idea and will to the test

When the quake just occurred, Party General Secretary Hu Jintao ordered that the injured be quickly treated, "(we must) rescue of the wounded as soon as possible and ensured the safety of the people in the quake-hit areas," he said. Chinese Premier Wen Jiaobao immediately rushed to the disaster area in Sichuan to direct the rescue and relief work.

Meanwhile, it was emphasized that "disaster means order, and time means the people's life" and all-round arrangements for the quake relief work were made right at a meeting called overnight by the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. This can be regarded as an emergency "mobilization call" issued by the CPC Central Committee to the whole nation. It indicates the governing concept of "putting people's interests above everything", the scientific attitude in response to calamities and the resolve to rely on the united will of people to face up difficulties with both a resolve and determination, so as to win victories together in the quake rescue and relief endeavor.

Second, putting our fast response mechanism and measures to the test

Shortly after the earthquake occurred, all government institutions from the central to local authorities, and all people, officials and commoners alike, made their prompt, positive responses, launched contingency response mechanisms and began to implement their contingency measures steadily.

Central authorities set up the quake rescue and relief work headquarters headed by Premier Wen, which was made up of eight component rescue and relief groups, including a rescue and aid group, a forecast and monitoring group, a medical and health group, and a group to resettle quake victims. All government and army units have all plunged themselves into the relief work, from the State Seismological Bureau (SSB) to the State Disaster Relief Commission, from the Ministry of Civil Affairs to the Ministry of Health, from the headquarters of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to the PLA Chengdu Military Command, and from the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and Sichuan Provincial Government to government departments in the quake-hit areas.

Third, putting our information openness and transparency to the test

Rumors and panic can be halted with information openness and transparency. With regard to this tremor, casualties, losses and latest developments in various regions are released by all types of media, and subsequently updated synchronously. Information has gone on spreading unbridled or unobstructed from central to local authorities, from the quake-jolted area to elsewhere in the country, and from inside China to overseas. The complete, thorough information openness and transparency have stemmed hearsays from being generated and spread, and enable general public from varied social strata to acquire a peaceful mentality with a great composure and presence of mind. Such openness and transparency guarantee the right of general public to get to know the truth, and also put "the Decree of Government Information Openness", which has taken effect since May 1, 2008 to the test.

Fourth, putting our national spirit and strength to the test

In this calamity, people of all ethnicities in China and nationals of the Chinese origin both at home and overseas have turned their look to the quake-hit areas and conveyed their sentiments or affection to the people there. People concern themselves with latest developments in the disaster areas in a hope that they can do something for the quake victims. Netizens inspire them by boosting their morale and offer blessing for people in the quake inflicted areas.

Moreover, many non-government charitable institutions or organizations propose donating money, goods and materials to the quake victims, and varied activities have been quickly carried out in an effort to relieve people in the disaster area. All this shows that the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, by working with one heart and one mind, have gathered the most composed and majestic cohesive force amid calamity and join in the quake-affected people to tide over difficulties caused by the quake. Faced with the disaster, we have become still more united, still more cohesive, still more composed and still more sure of ourselves, and such spirit and strength constitute the invincible, priceless assets of the Chinese nation.

"Trials and tribulations regenerate a nation," as an ancient Chinese saying goes. The government and people of China, who have experienced all kinds of catastrophic natural calamities, are sure to overcome difficulties inflicted by this tremor and write additional splendid, moving songs for the history of quake rescue and relief efforts.

By People's Daily Online and its author is Chen Jiaxing, a PD desk editor