Sichuan Earthquake Relief Efforts

From Hong Kong on May 13 I had a few rounds of quiet cries reading the wenchuan earthquake. the casualty number maybe be close to 100k as some towns and villages are cut off from communication and the search and rescue efforts are just reaching tho epicenter. Some of the casualties can be avoided. I was particular sad and angry reading the news that several hundred students and teachers were buried in a school building that collapsed because of the shoddy works. Without a question, it is another construction project where the developers used sub-standard materials for construction to squeeze out the profit and without question, certain government officers must be complicit in approving the project and get the kick back. I can't help holding my tears while typing this.

What relieve me is Hu made a statement almost immediately after the quake pledging all efforts to help the victim and our beloved premier wen was on site at the relief command center. china has hope - bai xin you fu - this is how we the chinese peoples expressing ourselves - saying we are blessed when we have good government.

Whatever misgiving one has for CPC and her conducts in some of the controversial areas, there is no question that the CPC led by Hu-Wen is very people-centric and winning overwhelming tacit mandate from the peoples.

From New York on May 13:

The coverage here is also quite extensive but looking at the Chinese media its wall to wall coverage especially about the school and the parents crying over the children. My most immediate reaction is also the shoddy construction - the tofu projects like what Zhu Rongji called them - and having worked in China so long you can almost picture the local officials and contractors callously cutting corners. And then I read this, which made me feel slightly more resigned because it appears that the area is prepared only for a 7.0 earthquake instead of 7.9 (which is in fact 9x stronger than 7.0) see: http://www.newsweek.com/id/136722

I read also of Wen Jiabao's almost heroic reactions rushing down there within hours, berating the bureaucrats, falling down and gashing his arm, giving encouragement and crying with the victims...I feel this is quite historic and like you I feel grateful. China today has the resources and capability to do the best job under a terrible situation and I am glad all country - HK and Macau and even Taiwan included - is responding as one people in the manner of a modern country. If we do this well and this is what 2008 will be remembered for more than the olympics. If we do this well, this is how China shows its a great nation again.
My thoughts are with the people.