Nation backs ASEAN disaster alert plan
By Qin Chuan (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-01-26 01:30

China is willing to support ASEAN in building up its earthquake and tsunami early warning systems, Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu said yesterday in Beijing.

Hui was attending the opening ofa 2-day China-ASEAN Workshop on warning systems for earthquake-generated tsunamis, nearly a month after earthquake-triggered tidal waves swept across the Indian Ocean and killed more than 280,000 people.

ASEAN refers to the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations. The region was the most affected by the disaster.

Hui said China's aid to the ravaged area is the largest assistance offered to a foreign country in the nation'shistory.

China would like to offer support in terms of techniques, equipmentand training resources to ASEAN countries to help them build their capacity in earthquake and tsunami warning systems, Hui said in hisopening remarks.

Hui urged a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean ring beset up as soon as possible."We hope the system will fully draw on successful experiences and pay off soon," he said.

Hui said the establishment of sucha system requires global effort. The United Nations should play alead co-ordinating role in the process, he said, adding that ASEAN should provide key contributions, as well.

He called upon various regional institutions and organizations tosupport the endeavour.

A warning system is necessary because the danger of more disasters isstill there, said Jan Sopaheluwakan,deputy chairman for earth sciences atthe Indonesian Institute of Sciences,also attending the workshop.

"We just cannot wait until the next one," he said.

He came with the hope of learning more about Chinese experiencesand techniques in earthquake andtsunami warnings.

The co-operation between Chinaand Indonesia will be long term and contribute to a multi-national cooperative stance since earthquakes and tsunami are transboundary disasters, he added.

He also suggested that a network of earthquake detectors linked tothe US Global Positioning System,a satellite system that is used widely in the world, should be set up.

Pe Thon, deputy minister for transportof Myanmar, said such co-operationcould help prevent future disastersand will surely cause fewer losses thanthe December 26 tragedy.

The Chinese Government has alreadypledged a donation of US$83million for disaster relief. Privatedonations have totalled US$45million.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in a regular newsbriefing yesterday that half the donations will be handed over to the affected countries by the end of this month.

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