Consul General's Remarks for Sichuan Earthquake Anniversary

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
2:28 pm

 

A moment of silence is observed in honor of the victims as the flag is lowered to half staff at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai at exactly 2:28pm on May 12, 2009, exactly one year after the devastating Sichuan earthquake.

Today our Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing is accompanying President Hu Jintao in Wenchuan, Sichuan at the Chinese Government’s official commemoration of last year’s devastating earthquake.  Here at our Consulate in Shanghai, an honor guard displays the American flag at half mast in memory of the victims.

The news of last May’s earthquake shocked the entire world.  The scope of the earthquake’s impact was staggering, with more than 70,000 deaths, 375,000 injured and over 15 million displaced. 

I was in Washington at the time of the earthquake and recall the shock we all felt as well as the desire to help, with money and other assistance.  Then-President Bush and Mrs. Bush personally went to the Chinese Embassy to express condolences to the people of China about this tragic event.

Those of us in the U.S. and around the world were impressed by the swift, massive relief efforts and the generosity of Chinese citizens, who offered not only financial support but also donated their time and skills to relief efforts.  The members of this Consulate General donated more than RMB 40,000 to the Chinese Red Cross to aid in relief efforts, with some colleagues making additional individual contributions later.
    
We are proud that America stood by China in the aftermath of this tragedy, offering disaster relief assistance and emergency supplies.   The United States Air Force delivered several planeloads of disaster relief equipment and supplies to China.  U.S. businesses, non-profit organizations, and individual Americans shocked by the tragedy donated nearly $125 million to the immediate relief and recovery effort.  Many of the largest and earliest donors were U.S. companies active in China and their trade associations, including American Chambers of Commerce and the U.S.-China Business Council.  

We have been impressed to see how the people of Sichuan have gone about rebuilding their lives.  Today, we look back on the Sichuan disaster and think about those who were lost, those who still suffer, and ways by which we may continue to address the human needs in the affected areas. 
 
Today, we show that we have not forgotten nor will ever forget May 12, 2008.  We join all those in China and around the world in mourning and commemoration.