Chinese American Response to Quake
I have been reading the news on the Internet this past week about the rescue process of the earthquake victims in China. I have been so sad to see those little bodies lined up on the school playground, the desperation on the faces of the parents, and the worries of the millions of people who had been made homeless.
All my friends in Los Angeles have donated money to relief efforts. The Chinese embassy in Los Angeles has provided the public with a list of supplies that are greatly needed in the earthquake area. Tents and masks top the list due to earlier shortages in China, even though the government is having all the domestic manufacturers work around the clock to provide supplies. My Chinese friends have organized with the aid of Internet tools such as local forums and e-mails to collect as many supplies as we can afford and ship them directly to Sichuan Province.
Unlike the Olympics, this local donation and disaster relief collection hasn’t appeared to provoke any controversial comments by the Western media. In China, people are patient with the government’s deployment and strictly follow its instructions. This very strong loyalty and cohesion rises from the newly felt confidence and trust the Chinese government has gained from its people through its quick reaction and dedicated rescue efforts after the disaster. I, among many Chinese living overseas, was moved to tears watching the first 15 PLA (People’s Liberation Army) soldiers undertaking the most deadly parachute landing onto the hardest hit area where aftershocks and landslides were still active. All of the rescue soldiers had written down their last words to their families before they began the rescue. In addition to tears, the Chinese people are also feeling increasing respect for the army and their government.
Now with the three-day national mourning officially over and no more survivors found, the government is moving on to reconstruction. The Chinese people are so grateful for all the help from countries around the world. With years of reconstruction to come, I would expect a large importation of manufacturing and constructing machinery, a huge appetite for resources and services, and frequent cooperation from other countries. China will have a great need for everything from basic materials to post trauma counseling which will allow foreign entities to enter the Chinese market and develop new business relationships. The people will undoubtedly embrace help from foreign organizations and the government will open doors and give the green light to foreign investments supplying the most fundamental supplies. The positivity rising from this disaster, in addition to more national cohesion and compassion, is increased transparency of the government’s operation. Clearly, this has given China a much more positive image in the international community.
