Xinhua Headlines: China's support to quake-hit Vanuatu received with appreciation

* A total of 35 tons of emergency relief supplies provided by China on Thursday arrived in Vanuatu, the Pacific island nation hit by a powerful earthquake last month.

* In addition to emergency medical assistance, at the request of the Vanuatu government, China has also sent four engineering experts to assist with post-earthquake recovery in the country.

PORT VILA, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Crowds at the Port Vila International Airport in the capital of Vanuatu burst into cheers when a chartered airplane, adorned with the Chinese national flag, touched down amidst drizzling rain on Thursday.

The plane carried 35 tons of emergency relief supplies delivered by China to Vanuatu, including tents, folding beds, solar lights, food, water purifiers and medical equipment.

The Pacific island nation was hit by a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake on Dec. 17, which killed at least 14 people, injured more than 200 and caused severe damage to infrastructure.

FIRST AID

Toppled medicine cabinets, scattered documents and collapsed shelters -- this was the devastation left behind by the disaster for the Chinese medical volunteers who have been serving at Vila Central Hospital since September.

Despite injuries and lingering aftershocks, this dedicated group of nine healthcare professionals rushed from their residence to the hospital, becoming one of the first medical teams to provide post-quake relief.

Wang Rui, a respiratory and critical care doctor on the team, said he could not forget the scene when victims crammed into the hospital. Due to the sudden increase in the number of injured patients, they had to set up tents outside the hospital to establish a temporary emergency room.

"Confronted with complex wounds, inadequate medicines and limited equipment, we had to improvise," said anesthetist Zhao Yanjun, adding that advanced techniques and equipment would be introduced to the country.

As the third Chinese medical team dispatched to Vanuatu, the medical professionals have treated more than 1,800 patients and have been involved in over 300 surgical operations and some 30 training sessions.

The Chinese community in Vanuatu also joined the local rescue and reconstruction work and offered material resources.

MUCH NEEDED ASSISTANCE

Two weeks after the earthquake, many houses with slanted structures and cracked walls still need to be fixed. Local residents noted that while some buildings appeared intact from the outside, they were severely damaged internally.

"In the face of a sudden big disaster, the efforts of all parties and the support of every development partner have been indispensable," said Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Li Minggang at a handover ceremony of the supplies held Thursday at the airport.

The Chinese government has provided 1 million U.S. dollars in emergency assistance to Vanuatu to support its disaster relief and reconstruction efforts. The Red Cross Society of China has also provided 100,000 dollars in emergency cash assistance.

"China will always stand together with Vanuatu and along with the UN and other development partners, assist Vanuatu recovering at an early date," Li said.

At the request of the Vanuatu government, China has sent four engineering experts to assist with post-earthquake recovery in the country.

"This is the first time that China has sent an emergency post-disaster assessment team to a Pacific island country, with hopes of contributing to Vanuatu's reconstruction," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday.

Vanuatu is among the countries with the highest natural disaster risk in the world. Its people have forged resilience through countless struggles with devastating storms, tsunamis and earthquakes.

China's assistance "will not only enhance the Vanuatu government's service to its people but also serve as a beacon of hope, as it will ignite the fire within us to persevere... through this difficult time," said Vanuatu's caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai. 

(Video reporters: Li Yuhui, Guo Xinhui, Long Lei, Zhao Manjun; Video editors: Zhang Yucheng, Zak Zuzanna, Li Qin)■