Daily Times

CHENGDU: Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday that China would comprehensively enhance its disaster prevention capabilities to guarantee people’s safety and property.

He made the remarks in a letter to the International Conference for the Decade Memory of the Wenchuan Earthquake and the Fourth International Conference on Continental Earthquakes, which opened in Chengdu Saturday.

Xi said that under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken area had “achieved remarkable achievements in restoration and reconstruction work, providing useful experience and inspiration for the international community in post-disaster reconstruction work.”

On May 12, 2008, the magnitude 8 quake that hit Wenchuan of Sichuan Province killed nearly 70,000 people, leaving nearly 18,000 missing and millions homeless. “There is no end to the human understanding of natural laws. Disaster prevention and reduction, and disaster relief are the eternal topics for people’s survival and development,” Xi said in the letter.

“Scientifically understanding the laws of disasters, effectively reducing disaster risks, and achieving a harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature requires the joint efforts of the international community.

“China will adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, and pay attention to disaster prevention and relief work while treating prevention as a major task.” He called on the delegates to actively participate in the seminar, which is focused on the theme “Living with Seismic Risk,” and to contribute to promoting international cooperation in disaster reduction, reducing the risk of natural disasters, and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Quake orphans: 10 years on

When the magnitude 8 earthquake struck southwest China’s Sichuan Province 10 years ago on May 12, it left 87,000 people dead or missing, and created hundreds of orphans.

Xiaoyu, who was only 13-years-old at the time, was one of the unfortunate ones, but also “lucky” to be one of 338 orphans moved into a complex known as “Ankang Jiayuan” (The Homestead of Well-being) in Shuangliu County in Sichuan. “My younger sister and I had lost our family in the earthquake, and we felt helpless and hopeless. But we later got a bigger family with more loving people,” said Xiaoyu, who has become a Chinese teacher in a middle school.

Ankang Jiayuan, supported by the All-China Women’s Federation and China Children and Teenagers’ Fund, was the county’s largest welfare home for Sichuan quake orphans.

Among the 672 children fostered in Ankang Jiayuan, 282 are now in college or university, 342 are employed or joining the army, and 48 are still in the project due to their age. The Ankang Jiayuan complex consists of apartment buildings, a primary school and a middle school. In addition to teachers, there are 80 specially-trained tutors to take care of the children’s everyday needs. The project also highlights the importance of psychological help for the orphans, offering regular mental evaluations.

Published in Daily Times, May 13^th 2018.