Commentary: Global response to Nepal quake highlights endeavors towards common destiny

While some still deem the "community of common destiny" an intangible mirage, more see a vivid portrayal of the initiative during the global disaster relief and recovery efforts in the wake of the April 25 Nepal earthquake.

The massive quake and a chain of aftershocks wreaked havoc in the Himalayan country, claiming some 8,500 lives and injuring 18,000 others. Nearly half of Nepal's counties were ravaged and 10 million people directly affected.

The shock waves were also felt in southwest China, northern India and Bangladesh, among other countries and regions.

Many who survived the devastating quake have taken shelter in cars and tents, or huddled themselves up on the streets and in the fields, going through one sleepless night after another, and having no idea when the next tremor would come and how destructive it would be.

Human beings are frail when confronted with the capricious nature. Yet mankind is invincible when being united under a common great mission and making concerted efforts in a single direction: to save life.

The good will around the world is enormous after Nepal was shattered by the earthquake. The international community rushed for life across the world's roof.

Dozens of countries, including China, India, the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, Cuba, Australia, Israel and Poland, have sent rescue crews to the stricken areas, and 107 international medical teams have been dispatched to the quake-hit areas to cope with the dire situation.

Talking about the intensive Chinese support to the Nepali people in their recovery and post-disaster construction efforts, Wu Chuntai, China's ambassador to Nepal, said that China has built a "lifeline across the Himalaya mountains."

The prompt response of the international community to the Nepal quake has demonstrated the ongoing efforts toward building a community of common destiny for the human race.

Nepal, a small inland country neighboring only China and India, has already been tightly interwoven into the giant global fabric.

Three million of its citizens work across the world. Its soldiers serve the United Nations relief forces. It offers Japan printing papers to make banknotes. It attracts 800,000 foreign tourists a year.

This time, due to the mammoth earthquake, it shares the common destiny with the entire world again.

British Poet John Donne said: "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind." In all ages, the human beings have never ceased the efforts to explore the common destiny.

Living in a global village in the new century, mankind is faced with a host of common challenges, including earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, epidemics, warfare and terrorism, all of which require global cooperation.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping has said, all nations inhabiting the planet should raise awareness about the humanity sharing a community of common destiny, pull together in times of trouble, and strive for common development and lasting peace of the entire world. Endi