Rescuers transfer an injured villager evacuated from Wandong Village of Detuo Town, in Luding County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sept. 6, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
Luding, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, is in a critical period of emergency rescue after a magnitude-6.8 earthquake hit the area. Due to the shallow epicenter, high intensity, and strong destructiveness of this earthquake, 66 people have been killed and 15 others lost contact by Tuesday afternoon. In addition, the western region of Sichuan, with high mountains, steep slopes and narrow roads, has always been an area prone to geological disasters, and the hidden risk of secondary disasters caused by earthquakes is still very high. How to seize the 72-hour golden rescue period, "put saving lives as the primary task" and minimize casualties test Sichuan and touch the hearts of people across the country.

After the earthquake, the armed police, firefighters and soldiers, professional medical teams and rescue forces were quickly mobilized. "Rescue" is a bugle calling in the earthquake-hit area. The supremacy of life is not an empty slogan, but vivid scenes: There are special police officers who dug out the buried people with their bare hands, and armed police soldiers who created life corridors with their hands, as well as teachers who ran back toward the students. The scene moved every Chinese. In addition, unmanned aerial vehicle Wing Loong-2H and Twin-Tailed Scorpion drone developed by Sichuan Tengdun Tech Co were sent to the epicenter to ensure communication, which also made people proud that after the 5/12 earthquake in Sichuan's Wenchuan in 2008, our soldiers no longer had to parachute to get to the scene.

Whether it is rescue, prevention of secondary disasters, and proper shelter for the affected people, the safety of people's lives is priority. China's performance in many disaster reliefs in the past has long proven this. Whenever a destructive disaster occurs, "life is above all else" must be the common belief of the whole society from the top to the grassroots. It is an emotional bond for the whole society to unite and overcome difficulties together, and it is also the source of our confidence to stand up again from the trauma. Those who go back to the disaster scenes race against time without considering themselves, just to seize every ray of "hope of life" at all costs. They have received respect from the whole society of China.

Recently, Sichuan has been hit by heat and drought, a rebound in the epidemic, and earthquake disasters. In addition, the downward pressure on the economy has mounted, and the burden of development task is heavy. This has caused many netizens nationwide to have concerns about Sichuan. Against such a background, it is even more necessary for governments at all levels, society and individuals to make concerted efforts to maintain solidarity. What is impressive is that few people in Sichuan are immersed in negative emotions. It is not their character to blame fate or other people, and difficulties at the same time inspire the perseverant spirit of people in Sichuan.

This spirit is not visible in normal times, but when it comes to a critical moment, it bursts out with a powerful force that is sufficient to overcome difficulties. It is the "heroic spirit" that touched the people of the whole country when the mountain fires were put out in Southwest China's Chongqing just over 10 days ago, and it is also the "Wenchuan spirit" that shocked the world when the Wenchuan earthquake took place 14 years ago. It has been passed down from generation to generation in Chinese society, and has been continuously enriched and carried forward, and has become the backbone of the Chinese national spirit. It represents self-improvement and hard work, bravery and unity, and perseverance in spite of hardships. It is such great spirit that enables our nation to turn the corner and overcome difficulties every time.

"When difficulties arise in one place, aid comes from everywhere" is the mainstream voice of the Chinese society, and the heroic spirit in the face of difficulties is the strong confidence of Chinese society. At this time, the whole society should give Sichuan more encouragement and be the most solid backing behind them. Caring can take many forms, but it must also be premised on respect. We have noticed that there is some false information on the internet, which is interpreted out of context, or some voices that make personal complaints in the name of "concern," some of which can even be seen with the intent to hype the public opinion. It must be said that the practices of attracting views by spreading false information and consuming suffering are not only immoral, but also extremely offensive to the earthquake casualties, which should be condemned.

After the Wenchuan earthquake, the sentence "the people in Sichuan have never let the country down, and the people from other parts of China have never disappointed the people in Sichuan as well" circulated on the internet, inspiring many people. Sichuan, which has gone through countless trials of various scales, will not be deterred by the difficulties it confronts - it is still the positive and optimistic Sichuan, and it is still the same Sichuan that cannot be defeated. We are full of confidence in Sichuan's victory over all kinds of difficulties, and we also sincerely salute all sides involved in the earthquake relief.