In Departure, China Invites Outside Help

An earthquake, 7.9 in magnitude, struck the heart of China, and the government has responded quickly by seeking disaster relief experts and rescue equipment, reports a team of New York Times reporters. China invited and received assistance from Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea and Singapore. China has also mobilized thousands of soldiers and emergency workers. The official death toll exceeds 21,000; tens of thousands of more are missing, buried in the rubble of ruined towns and villages; 4 million homes are destroyed. “One Chinese relief official called the invitations to a relatively small number of overseas teams ‘rescue diplomacy,’” writes the team. “China has been eager to secure international good will in what has so far been a trying diplomatic year for the country, with crises involving Tibet, human rights and pressure to reduce support for the Sudanese government.” In a massive rescue effort, the people of China are pulling together and overlooking past differences with neighbors throughout the region. – YaleGlobal