Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China　

A woman sheds tears at a charity activity held by overseas Chinese to raise money for the quake-stricken regions in China, in Wellington, capital of New Zealand, May 17, 2008. (Xinhua/Huang Xingwei) Photo Gallery>>>

    By Zheng Hangen

    BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit China's southwest province of Sichuan on May 12 has struck a sympathetic chord among overseas Chinese worldwide.

    From Namibia to Mexico, from France to the United States, vast numbers of overseas Chinese, men and women, old and young, Chinese nationals or naturalized citizens of their residing countries, have lost no time in making donations to help relieve the people in the disaster areas in their homeland.

    In many Chinese communities across the world, upon hearing the news of the deadly quake in Sichuan, people interrupted their routine business to launch donation campaigns. In France, the United States and Austria, fund-raisers were held on the second day of the quake. In France, a total of 2.6 million yuan (some 370,000 U.S. dollars) was collected on Wednesday alone.

    "How I wish I could go to the disaster-hit areas to help, but what I can do now is just to donate some money," said Li Ying, a music student studying in France, after she learned the earthquake had claimed over 20,000 lives as of Saturday.

    "We'll try our best. The more we do, the less those survivors in the disaster areas will have to suffer," said an ethnic Chinese living in New Zealand.

    A Chinese construction worker in the United Arab Emirates, who comes from Sichuan, trekked more than 100 km to the Chinese embassy to donate for him and seven other fellow workers.

    The deep affection of the Chinese living abroad for their homeland is keenly felt by people in the disaster-hit areas and their compatriots elsewhere in China.

    "We in the homeland are grateful to you, our overseas compatriots!" "All Chinese in the world are of one family." "I'm moved by your deep affection, overseas Chinese," read some of the comments left by Chinese netizens on donations made by overseas Chinese.

    Some press reports noted that the scenario fully bears out the saying that blood is thicker than water, listing numerous examples of overseas Chinese taking swift actions to help their native country in time of disasters.

    In the 1991 and 1998 big floodings, large-scale donation activities were carried out by overseas Chinese across the world. During the SARS crisis in 2003, overseas Chinese around the world vied with one another to help. Overseas Chinese also made generous donations and offered other help in the snow storm that devastated more than half of the country early this year.

    Many overseas Chinese cherish the tradition of maintaining an ardent love and care for their homeland wherever they are and no matter how long they have lived abroad.

    "We never forget we are Chinese." That's the feeling shared by many overseas Chinese immigrants of second or third generation.

    As an elderly Chinese immigrant who has lived in Los Angeles for decades put it, "It's my unshirkable duty to donate for the disaster-stricken areas in my native land."

    The timely assistance offered by overseas Chinese worldwide with disaster relief following the Sichuan earthquake goes far beyond merely material help, it comes as important moral and emotional support for all those in the disaster-stricken regions, many Chinese netizens said.

    The material assistance and love and care by the overseas Chinese will help enhance the confidence of people at home in their arduous endeavor to combat the disaster and rebuild their homeland.