China welcomes outside quake relief help

BEIJING, April 19 (UPI) -- China welcomes the international community's willingness to help with earthquake relief in Yushu County in northwest Qinghai province, a spokeswoman said.

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the mountainous Tibetan autonomous county with a population of about 350,000 Wednesday, killing more than 1,700 people and injuring several thousand more. Massive rescue and relief work is under way to save people trapped in the rubble and to rehabilitate thousands of survivors, many living in tents under severe weather conditions and being threatened by persistent aftershocks.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the international community had extended condolences and expressed concerns about the relief in Yushu, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

There have been offers of assistance from some countries and organizations, which point to their goodwill toward China, Jiang said.

"Chinese government welcomes and sincerely appreciates their goodwill," she said.

"We believe the people affected by the earthquake will surely overcome the disaster and rebuild their home with concerted efforts of the Chinese people and the support of the international community," she said.