A friend in times of need

Family members break down during the cremation of earthquake victims in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, on Sunday. NIRANJAN SHRESTHA/ AP

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.

Chinese media have kept a close watch on the developments in Nepal and many netizens have begun collecting donations for the Nepalese. Just as the Nepalese ambassador to China said, the help from Chinese friends in adversity has transmitted to Nepalese people positive energy that will contribute to their overcoming the current hardship.

This is not the first time that China has made its presence felt after a natural disaster. Chinese rescue teams have played important roles in disaster relief in Haiti, Japan and New Zealand. The Chinese rescue and relief efforts across the world have not only fulfilled China's responsibility of offering international humanitarian assistance, but have also deepened the impression that China is a country that cherishes faith and values friendship and a country that is willing to come to the aid of those in need.

The above is an abridgement of a People's Daily article published on Monday.