A friend in times of need

The destructive 8.1-magnitude earthquake in Nepal, which has caused huge casualties to the small Himalayan nation, is once again testing the global ability to make joint rescue and disaster relief efforts.

The Chinese government has offered Nepal emergency aid of 20 million yuan ($3.226 million), including tents, blankets, power generators and other materials that are badly needed in quake-affected areas. At the same time, a 62-member Chinese rescue team arrived in Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, on Sunday morning. Chinese power and telecommunication enterprises based in Nepal have also gone all out for rescue and maintenance work.

China has suffered from numerous catastrophic earthquakes in the past, including the Wenchuan earthquake and the Yushu and Lushan quakes, and received international assistance. The country is willing to work with the rest of the world to help the hard-hit Nepalese people to overcome the difficulties and return to a normal state as soon as possible.