Chinese rescue teams continue relief work in Myanmar; efforts highlight strong bilateral ties and co-op with ASEAN

Chinese rescue teams are continuing to work in the hard-hit Mandalay in central Myanmar following the 7.9-magnitude temblor last week, and have so far saved eight survivors as of 8 am local time on Tuesday in the country, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The China Search and Rescue Team saved four survivors, the Yunnan Rescue Medical Team rescued one survivor, and other civil emergency forces rescued three and assisted the China Search and Rescue Team, the Xinhua report said. 

To coordinate the Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay, a rescue work mechanism was established to enhance information sharing and joint logistics to ensure the quality and effectiveness of their rescue work. 

On Tuesday, Myanmar held a national mourning ceremony to observe a minute of silence for the victims of the earthquake. Myanmar on Monday declared a week-long mourning period from March 31 to April 6, during which flags across the country will fly at half-mast, according to CCTV. 

The death toll from Friday's devastating earthquake in Myanmar has reached 2,719, with 4,521 people injured and 441 others still missing, the country's State Administration Council Chairman Min Aung Hlaing said on Tuesday, according to Xinhua News Agency.

On Tuesday afternoon, a rescue team from China donated a temporary office for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar in Nay Pyi Taw. The Chinese rescue team also showed how to erect and use the site.

On the same day, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Ma Jia visited and expressed appreciation to a rescue medical team from China's Yunnan Province in Nay Pyi Taw. The Ambassador expressed gratitude to the team for rushing to Myanmar and arriving within 18 hours after the earthquake, making them the first international rescue team to successfully rescue a survivor, the Global Times learnt from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar.

"Xiexie!" The Mayor of Mandalay, U Kyaw Hsan, sincerely thanked the Chinese Rescue Team of Ram Union for its rescue work on Tuesday. Local residents spontaneously offered herbal tea and mineral water to salute the rescue team members.

On Tuesday morning, the Myanmar Red Cross Society held a donation ceremony for the 1.5-million-yuan donation from the Red Cross Society of China. Minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar Cao Jing and Dr Myo Nyunt, Chairman of the Myanmar Red Cross Society, attended the event. 

Covering the rescuing work in Myanmar, some media outlets made a comparison of countries' efforts devoted in the disaster relief work. 

"Chinese rescuers have freed six people from the rubble of an earthquake in Myanmar, including a child and a pregnant woman, Chinese state media reported Monday, placing Beijing at the forefront of an international rescue effort from which the US has been largely absent," one NBC report wrote on Monday.

The US said Monday that it would provide $2 million in aid and a small US Agency for International Development emergency response team has been deployed to assess the situation in Myanmar, but officials said that it had not yet been able to enter the country as of Monday morning, according to an ABC report. 

"While the dollar amount of initial aid is in line with what the US has pledged in the past, the overall pace of the response has been slower", the report said. 

After the Myanmar earthquake, China quickly provided assistance and sent rescue workers, which not only reflects the stability of bilateral relations between both countries, but also clearly demonstrates the efficient results of China and ASEAN cooperation in disaster relief, Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.