Chinese people eager to help Japanese quake victims

By Pang Qi

Chinese citizens are eager to help Japan following Friday's earthquake, and various Internet-based social groups are trying to find ways to help.

Many China-based Internet portals and social networks have created special sections dedicated to the quake, and tens of thousands of Internet users have left messages showing their willingness to help.

A leading Chinese portal, sina.com.cn, has initiated a campaign to encourage micoblog users to forward a prayer with a "green ribbon" sign to show their concerns.

"Let's all pray for the victims of the earthquakes in Japan and in Yunnan Province," an Internet user wrote.

In the meantime, Skype China announced its plans to offer free calls to disaster areas, including Japan and Yingjiang, Yunnan Province, in China, which suffered from a 5.8-magnitude earthquake Thursday.

Chen Guangbiao, a Chinese billionaire and philanthropist, hurried to Japan with 1 million yuan ($152,091) and medicine.

An official in Chiba prefecture said Chen's team was the first civilian rescue team from abroad. Chen's team reportedly rescued two residents trapped in a house at Chiba, the Hubei-based Changjiang Times reported Sunday.

The Japanese embassy in China said Saturday that China's Red Cross had donated 1 million yuan.

In a poll of 65,950 respondents on ifeng.com, a popular Chinese Web portal, 83 percent said China should offer humanitarian aid to Japan because the two countries share a similar culture and Japan helped China in the past. However, 13 percent were against helping.

In a published commentary, Li Hongbing, a columnist with People's Daily, appealed for the public to offer help to Japan.

"Chinese people should not be another Sharon Stone who claimed that the Wenchuan earthquake was karma. To Chinese Stones, shut up, please, don't spread salt on the wound and make our country humiliated," he said.