Chinese volunteers channel relief material shipment to quake-hit Mandalay

Chinese expatriates and residents in Myanmar have volunteered to coordinate large-scale relief operations to communities affected by a devastating earthquake in Mandalay, the second largest city in the country.

The 7.9-magnitude quake, which struck central Myanmar on Friday, has left 1,700 killed, 3,400 injured and 300 missing, according to the Sunday statement from the country's State Administration Council.

Chinese nationals residing in Myanmar swiftly organized aid networks, establishing over a dozen volunteer groups and fund-raising channels to deliver critical supplies to hard-hit regions, including Mandalay.

Relief materials, including drinking water, food, and medical supplies, have been gathered in Yangon, another major city serving as the main hub for collecting donations. Local residents began donating these items on Saturday, with plans to transport them to disaster zones as early as Monday.

Many overseas Chinese living in Yangon drove more than 10 hours overnight to deliver supplies, such as antiseptics, gloves and N95 masks, to rescue teams in Mandalay. Many restaurants offered free meals to rescue workers.

The journey to Mandalay has been challenging due to severe damage to roads, with some routes taking more than 10 hours instead of the usual seven.

"Normally it takes seven or eight hours, but now it's a detour that could cost a dozen hours. We didn't suffer big loss. We just do some delivery errands, the least we can contribute. Others have made relatively great contributions. We didn't help much. What's important is to get the supplies there in time," said Li Chengyuan, head of a Rangoon-based logistics company.

Despite the logistical hurdles, the Yangon market remains well-stocked, allowing for the procurement of necessary items at normal prices.

Nevertheless, essential services such as power supply and communications in disaster-hit areas like Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw have not yet returned to normal, complicating rescue efforts further.

Large rescue machinery is still struggling to enter disaster-hit areas due to the poor road condition between Yangon and Mandalay.

Relief supplies were rushed to the earthquake-stricken areas. On Saturday, China's Yunnan Province launched an emergency response mechanism to prepare tents, blankets, foldable beds and other relief supplies, with the first batch of supplies arriving in Myanmar on Saturday by air.

Chinese volunteers channel relief material shipment to quake-hit Mandalay

Chinese volunteers channel relief material shipment to quake-hit Mandalay

Chinese volunteers channel relief material shipment to quake-hit Mandalay

Chinese volunteers channel relief material shipment to quake-hit Mandalay

Chinese volunteers channel relief material shipment to quake-hit Mandalay

Chinese volunteers channel relief material shipment to quake-hit Mandalay

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's official visit to China signals a policy shift towards building a more pragmatic relationship between the two countries, according to a Canadian researcher.

Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to begin an official visit to China through Saturday, which marks the first trip by a Canadian Prime Minister to the country in eight years.

Robert Hanlon, director and principal investigator of Canada and the Asia Pacific Policy Project (CAPPP) at Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia, told the China Global Television Network (CGTN) that Carney's visit indicates Canada is recalibrating its strategic perception of China, which could cement the foundation for the country's economic diversification efforts and boost the development of bilateral cooperation.

"I think it's a clear message that he has moved Canada's strategy to a much more pragmatic, interest-based, -focused relationship with our trading partners, moving away from values-based narratives that we might have heard on previous governments. Canada has spoken about moving from what the Prime Minister's Office is calling "from reliance to resilience", and that means diversifying our economies and our trade everywhere in the world. And so China being our second largest trading partner, it makes perfect sense for our PM to head to Beijing," he said.

The scholar also noted the huge cooperation potential between the two sides in economic and trade fields, citing Canada's efforts to step up shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the planned construction of an oil pipeline in Alberta which aims to increase export access to Asian markets. "Canada and China both share tremendous economic opportunities together and so finding ways to enhance our exports. Canada specifically looking to build out its LNG and oil, kind of export market. We know Canada is a major producer of critical minerals and China is a buyer. And so there's a lot of synergy between that kind of those kind of markets," he said.

Canadian PM's visit to China paves way for more pragmatic trade ties: scholar