The European Union (EU)'s High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, on Monday spoke highly of China's response to the devastating earthquake that hit its Sichuan Province last year, saying it reflected in many ways the strategic "reform and opening up" policy adopted by China 30 years ago.

"There was a new openness in the way the response to this disaster was handled. An openness that helped to focus efforts on saving lives and that created a feeling of solidarity across borders," Solana told a seminar jointly sponsored by China's mission to the EU and the Madariaga-College of Europe Foundation under the EU.

"Citizens across the globe were able to show their solidarity with the people suffering in Sichuan and their help in the rescue effort was received with open arms," he said.

The EU foreign policy chief recalled that he told Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi shortly after last year's earthquake how the EU admired the swift and efficient action taken by the Chinese leadership to handle the disaster.

The seminar entitled "China's ability to cope with natural disasters: a global challenge" focused specially on China's efforts to combat the 8.0-magnitude earthquake centered in Wenchuan County of Sichuan Province on May 12. More than 80,000 people were killed in the quake.

Addressing the seminar, Chinese Ambassador to the EU, Song Zhe said that China's rescue and rehabilitation efforts following the earthquake were unparalleled in terms of speed, scale and input.

Looking back at that extraordinary period, Song said there were "at least four elements which were essential to our effective response to the disaster."

First, the governing philosophy of "people first, life first." The Chinese leaders emphasized time and again that "as long as there is a glimmer of hope, we'll make one hundredfold efforts to save as many lives as we can," he said.

Secondly, the governing ability to command and mobilize the entire nation. Immediately after the earthquake, the government launched a nation-wide rescue campaign through conscientious planning and organization.

Thirdly, the policy of reform and opening up. "In a sense, the rescue and relief efforts fully testified to the great achievements of 30 years of reform and opening up in China, and only by adhering to the reform and opening up policy and concentrating on economic development, can we build up socio-economic capacity for combating natural disasters," Song said.

Fourthly, the governing concept of openness, transparency and cooperation.

"There were timely and accurate news releases, objective and free reports, open and transparent supervision, which presented credibility and responsibility. We kept the international community informed, welcomed international assistance and accepted rescue and medical teams from other countries including the EU countries," Song said.

In the future, he said, China would lay emphasis on both disaster prevention and alleviation, and address both symptoms and root causes so as to be better prepared to prevent and fight natural disasters.

Song also pledged that China would continue to intensify international exchanges and cooperation in disaster prevention and alleviation including information management, education, professional training, technology transfer and humanitarian assistance.

"We are ready to learn from the practices and experiences of others and play our due role in international efforts in this regard," he said.

Participants to the seminar were briefed by Chinese experts on the nation's great efforts in dealing with the Sichuan earthquake. While hailing China's quick response to the earthquake, scholars from Europe also made suggestions on how to get better prepared for natural disasters, to improve early warning systems and to enhance cooperation with the international community.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2009)