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Japan Vice-FM: Quake, tsunami damage akin to a 'war'

By Cheng Guangjin (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-03-16 08:20

A baby is tested for radiation in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima prefecture, on Tuesday. Kyodo / Reuters

MANADO, Indonesia - Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Makiko Kikuta said on Tuesday that the damage suffered by her nation in Friday's earthquake and tsunami was like it had "just undergone a war".

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"The situation is extremely severe," Kikuta said at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Disaster Relief Exercises.

The exercises, which include field training, medial aid and policy discussions, began on Tuesday and will continue through Saturday in Manado, Indonesia.

China has sent a 15-member medical team and nine military officers to the exercises, attended by around 3,000 people.

"We have come to learn from other countries' experiences in disaster relief and do practical things to help local people," said Senior Colonel Lu Chuangang, head of the Chinese delegation and deputy-director of emergency department with the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army.

Experienced in disaster relief and overseas peacekeeping missions, the medical team has brought medical equipment, goods and materials worth about 5 million yuan ($761,000).

Japan's Self-Defense Force, who were supposed to take part in the exercises with over 300 personnel, has been mobilized to cope with the disaster back in their country, according to Kikuta.

The Asia-Pacific region, the home of most of the 27 ARF members, is known as "the ring of fire" where volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and landslides strike frequently.

On the same day as Japan's earthquake, a big flood struck Aceh on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.

A moment of silence for the people of Japan and Indonesia's Aceh took place at the opening ceremony before Indonesian Vice-President Boediono officially announced the start of the exercises.

The latest natural disasters in Japan underscore the importance of regional cooperation in disaster relief management, said Boediono.

"We have to develop and maintain certain levels of readiness with regard to a quick response capability for disaster relief forces," said Boediono, which "can only be attained through continuous exercises and training and an examination of standard operating procedures".

According to Boediono, the exercises in Manado are aimed at improving the professionalism of all participants in disaster relief operations, and enhancing coordination between civilians and the military.

"Earthquakes come unexpectedly and the 'golden time' for rescue is only within 72 hours. It is necessary to mobilize all the professional forces in the whole region to achieve the best rescue result," Senior Colonel Lu told China Daily.

"Governments in disaster-hit areas should quickly set up command headquarters to efficiently deploy rescue teams and provide information, transportation and security," Lu said.