China's top military officers speak out on earthquake response, as reported by the Associated Press ( May 18, 2008):
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/18/asia/AS-GEN-China-Earthquake-Military.php
BEIJING: China's military said it responded immediately to China's worst earthquake in three decades, using every means possible to reach victims.
In a rare public appearance Sunday, top officers from the People's Liberation Army told reporters they sent their first team to the disaster zone within 14 minutes of last week's earthquake.
"We feel our troops should be able to quickly respond to any danger, including carrying out diversified military operations. So, in peaceful times our troops are prepared to respond to natural disasters," air force Maj. Gen. Ma Jian of the PLA's high command said.
A total of 113,080 soldiers and armed policemen were mobilized by rail, road and on foot in China's massive rescue operation. All branches of the military were involved, including the airforce, navy and China's missile corps, the 2nd Artillery.
China's ruling Communist Party's mandate in part rests on being able to deliver aid in emergencies. The PLA, the world's largest standing army with 2.3 million members, has a central role and has seen its funding increase by double-digit percentages every year for the past 18 years.
The first 200 armed police entered the epicenter of Wenchuan county on Wednesday after walking for 21 hours to cover a distance of 55 miles (90 kilometers), said Hu Changming, spokesman for the National Defense Ministry.
Helicopters were used to drop relief supplies into Wenchuan after two days of rain immediately after the quake that prevented flights.
Troops have been shown repeatedly on live TV, sometimes using their hands to dig out buried survivors in areas unreachable by heavy equipment due to blocked roads.
Some rarely-seen assets were used, including Blackhawk helicopters bought from the U.S. in the 1980s. Many military convoys had their license plates removed or covered up as part of standard orders to maintain operational secrecy — even in a civil emergency.
Nuclear facilities jolted by the quake were secure, Ma said. Military police and soldiers from the army were sent to protect the facilities, he said.
"I can say responsibly that they are all safe," he said, not giving any details on whether any sites were damaged.
China's nuclear safety agency ordered staff to be on standby in case of an environmental emergency following last week's magnitude 7.9 quake that rocked Sichuan province, home of several key atomic sites.
The French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety said China reported "light damage" to unspecified nuclear facilities that were being dismantled before the quake.
Thierry Charles, the group's director of plant safety, said Chinese authorities immediately shut down nuclear sites for inspection. He said China's nuclear safety agency, NNSA, had reported no leaks of radioactivity since the quake.
China has a special military earthquake relief team that was first sent to the scene and included members who worked in the earthquake that hit northern Pakistan in 2005, killing 78,000 people, Ma said.
"Every rescue operation, we acquire a wealth of experience that provides very good reference for the next time," he said.
China initially resisted foreign search and rescue teams. But it eventually reversed the decision and welcomed specialist crews from Japan, Russia, South Korea, and Singapore, among others.
China needs to rely on the cooperation of the international community for assistance during large natural disasters, said Hu, the defense ministry spokesman.
Throughout the whole rescue operation, China had given priority to professional rescue teams, said Col. Ma Gaihe, director-general of the operations and logistics support bureau of the army.
Related link: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/18/asia/AS-GEN-China-Earthquake-Military.php
