Authorities Coping With Disaster Without Need for Outside Help

The picture emerging yesterday was that the Chinese authorities were coping as well as could be expected with the disaster, having mobilized the army and emergency workers within hours of appreciating the severity of the earthquake. More than 50,000 troops joined disaster relief efforts or were advancing to the area. Thousands were ordered to parachute into Wenchuan province where rain and clouds had prevented military helicopters from landing.

Initial indications are that the Chinese feel they have sufficient resources and experience to deal with the earthquake's aftermath, although aid organizations and foreign governments have offered help, both financially and in terms of expertise.

David Miliband, the foreign secretary, praised the Chinese authorities . "The Chinese government … is handling this matter in an exemplary fashion, but I think it's an opportunity for people to come together at this difficult time," he said at Commons question time."

"We are standing by as part of the United Nations system and are ready to help if asked," said a spokes man for the World Food Program in Rome yesterday. "No request has yet been made by the Chinese authorities."

The International Red Cross has dispatched an assessment team to the affected area where it will be working in cooperation with local authorities, said a spokesman yesterday.

Pierre Kramer, spokesman for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Associated Press that the Chinese Red Cross was participating in the aid effort with "volunteers engaged since the first hour".

"There's very little that we could add to what China can do for itself," said Bill Dowell, spokesman for CARE International, "so I don't think we'll be involved with China. I think our main focus is still on Myanmar."

Among international agencies and governments, the general feeling that seems to be emerging is that China has the infrastructure, the personnel, the resources and the experience to deal with the crisis without significant outside help. Whereas it was immediately clear that Burma would not be able to cope with the scale of their disaster on their own, China, with its vast army and its previous knowledge of severe earthquakes, presented a very different picture.

China is also highly conscious of its image in the run-up to the Olympics in July and will be anxious to avoid the international odium that has been heaped on Burma because of what is perceived as a callous refusal to accept assistance, even when such a refusal would lead to loss of life.