China fondly remembers Pakistan’s timely support in 2008 earthquake

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The government and the people of China still fondly remember and highly value the support that Pakistan had extended in overcoming Sichuan earthquake disaster in 2008. 

A report published by Gwadar Pro, recalled that May 12 was the 12th anniversary of 2008 China Sichuan earthquake which had caused a total of 69,227 deaths, 374,643 injuries, 17,923 missing and it’s considered as one of the most destructive catastrophes to have hit China. 

Pakistan, it has been recalled, had immediately reacted to support China to help overcome such a major disaster. In the last 12 years, the friendship between Pakistan and China has been continued to grow. 

After the earthquake, the Pakistan government had immediately responded and donated several batches of relief supplies, gross worthy over 7 million RMB (over Rs 110 million) to the disaster area. 

Within four days after the earthquake, Pakistan mobilized all of the transport aircrafts, invoked funds from national reserves and emptied reserves of disaster supplies to extend support to China. On May 16, 2008, two Pakistani Air Force C-130 transport planes had landed at Sichuan China with rescue team and supplies. 

Yao Jing, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, said that the friendship between China and Pakistan had been stabilized by that catastrophe again. 

Li Jing Feng, a researcher at the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), who has studied the Pak-China relations for a long time, also reckoned that the friendship between Pakistan and China has had deep roots in the hearts of people and each disaster could be regarded as a catalyst to unite two countries. 

The photographs of inside C-130 loaded with relief goods and relief workers standing to provide more space to accommodate goods had earned widespread publicity and appreciation from the Chinese people.