China decides of whom receive help for earthquake victims

China survives another earthquake

After last Saturday’s earthquake, China decided to accept the help of Russia, which sent a team of firefighters to the area, but refused help from Japan after the 7-point magnitude earthquake recorded last Saturday in Sichuan province (center), which leaves around 188 dead, and 25 missing.

According to information from the official Xinhua news agency, Russian teams, made up of 198 people, arrived at noon, and immediately moved to the municipality of Yaan, the area most affected by the quake.

There, the China Earthquake Administration suggested they move to the remote area of BaoXing, where most houses collapsed and where rescue teams had failed to arrive until Sunday.

The Chinese refusal to the aid of Japan shows how far their relations have deteriorated between Beijing and Tokyo, because of the dispute over the sovereignty of the Diaoyu / Senkaku islands.

The bad relations of these nations have even come to affect a trilateral meeting with South Korea in Seoul next month, which was suspended.