A top foreign affairs official from the PLA yesterday praised China's neighbors for the timely and effective manner in which they provided aid to areas affected by last month's earthquake.

"There are many shining examples of how they sent disaster relief materials. I value it highly," Qian Lihua, director of the foreign affairs office of the Ministry of National Defense, said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the 10+3 Workshop on the Participation in International Disaster Relief by Armed Forces, which opened yesterday at the Shijiazhuang Army Command College, one of the PLA's top two colleges, here in the provincial capital of Hebei.

"I would like to take this opportunity to express sincere gratitude to the delegates of the 10+2 countries (Association of Southeast Asian Nations members, Japan and Republic of Korea), and hope they can deliver the message to the armed forces and governments they serve."

The countries offered China their condolences and help - both in cash and supplies - soon after the quake, and several, including Japan, the ROK, Singapore and Indonesia, also sent rescue or medical teams to Sichuan.

As well as the humanitarian significance of the donations, Qian claimed the overseas assistance was recognition of the Chinese government's and its military's rapid response to the earthquake.

"I think our hard work won us the support of our neighbors," the major-general said.

The three-day workshop, coming so soon after the Wenchuan quake and the cyclone in Myanmar, which has left at least 100,000 dead or missing, holds a special significance, Qian said.

"I can tell from the number of delegates that the recent natural disasters in Asia have drawn great attention from the militaries of neighboring countries.

"It reflects an ongoing change in the non-traditional security field, and I hope the workshop plays a positive role in the process."

Forty-eight defense officials and commanders of militaries taking charge of disaster relief from the 10+3 countries are taking part in the event.

Discussions will focus on legal support, construction of a coordination mechanism and standard operating procedures during armed forces relief work under the 10+3 framework.

Trieu Hong Chien, Vietnam's defense attache to China, said: "The Chinese military impressed me they did very well. They arrived at the site just four hours after the quake hit."

Tan Soon Lee, Singapore's defense attache to China, said the workshop is of great importance in acquainting the neighboring countries with each other's disaster relief processes and will help facilitate cooperation in the future.

"If you include the 2004 tsunami, Asia has gone through three major natural disasters in recent years.

"They have provided us all with some rich experiences," he said.

(China Daily June 11, 2008)