Humanitarianism knows no borders or skin colors.

What rescue teams from Russia, Japan, Singapore and Republic of Korea have done in their efforts to search for survivors has reaffirmed this belief. And the Chinese people have been deeply moved by this generous flow of international aid in different forms from different countries.

While expressing gratitude to whatever the rest of the world and United Nations have done in searching for survivors and disaster relief, Premier Wen Jiabao said that this earthquake was a natural disaster not only for China but for also for the entire humankind.

Someone once said, "I cannot do everything, but I can do something. If we all did something, we could conquer everything." This, in a broad sense, is the essence of the principle of international humanitarianism.

This manifestation of the humanitarian spirit, that transcends kinship, races, political beliefs and borders, has enabled human beings to be stronger than the force of any natural calamity.

While rescuers, medical workers and aid in other forms come to help quake survivors and the reconstruction of the quake-affected areas, China too does not forget to offer further financial aid to the people of Myanmar that was hit by a cyclone early this month. This shows how the international community can help each other in times of natural disasters.

Globalization means not only economic inter-dependence among different countries but also a greater flow of transport and telecommunications, which makes it much easier for people from different countries to help each other. Globalization has thus made it a reality for human beings to join hands and resources whenever nature wreaks havoc in a country.

With more and more aid from the international community for disaster relief, the Chinese people have got a chance to see how the country has been integrated with the rest of world. This has also made it a necessity for people of this country to understand what such integration means.

While appreciating the humanitarian spirit displayed by foreigners who help us save lives and relieve the damage caused by this earthquake, China and the Chinese feel evermore the obligation they have to the making of a harmonious world.

(China Daily May 26, 2008)