A large-scale rescue and aid operation is underway in western China following Monday's severe earthquake. Beijing has deployed 50,000 soldiers to Sichuan province. The death toll has already reached 12,000 after only one and a half days.

Hurricanes, earthquakes and blizzards are regular occurrences in China with the result that the government is used to setting up rescue and relief operations. Jonathan Holslag, from the Brussels Institute for Contemporary China Studies, says the response to this latest natural disaster has up to now followed the trusted Chinese formula.

"Immediately after a disaster, there's always a meeting at the highest level involving the Prime Minister and other ministers with responsibilities. Information is put together as quickly as possible. In this phase, the Chinese authorities don't communicate with the outside world."

Then, a small committee takes over the leadership of the operation. Regional army commanders have to ensure that help actually reaches the victims. The next phase is reconstruction, to which, Mr Holslag says, China generally commits a large amount of money and effort.

Openness
Mr Holslag is struck by the fact that the period of non-communication by the Chinese government after disasters is getting shorter. During the SARS cirisis five years ago, it was weeks before information began to filter out of the country but, after this latest earthquake, details were being disclosed within 24 hours.

"It's a matter of learning. The government is becoming more and more aware that it's important to communicate, because if you try to hide things like natural disasters people get more suspicious. And if anything China needs to avoid the public in Europe and the United States becoming more concerned and suspicious of what's going on."

However, Mr Holslag, believes the Chinese make a difference between humanitarian and economic information. The Chinese media have, for example, revealed the number of chemical factories hit by the earthquake, but the information has not been released in English.

The Chinese army plays a crucial role in the second phase of operations, and soldiers are well trained for their role. Special police units are also trained in the provision of aid in the aftermath of disasters. This time, as usual, troops were almost immediately to be seen in the disaster area. Their work is being hampered by bad weather and the often mountainous terrain involved.

Mr Holslag does not think China will need help from abroad but doubts whether Beijing will actually refuse aid from, for example, the United States or Japan, which has already offered nearly 3.25 million euros' worth of aid.

"As such they don't need it. But if it's offered, lets say, by the United States or Japan or even India, which is quite possible these days, China wouldn't necessarily reject it. You have to look at it from the overall objective of getting closer relations with these important international players."

Reconstruction
When the bodies have been recovered and the chaos has been cleared up, the third phase of the operation, reconstruction, will be launched. China does not waste time here: after natural disasters, roads, schools and houses are repaired as soon as possible. Mr Holslag says this speed is designed to prevent unrest. This is even more important in the worst-hit province of Sichuan which is home to various minorities such as Tibetan and Muslim communities.

For some time, the government has been implementing its ‘Go West' policy, under which the neglected regions of western China are developed in the hope of preventing unrest. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Chinese authorities will do everything in their power to nip instability in the bud. The provision of speedy relief and a large-scale military presence are part of the effort.

* RNW translation (mw)