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Post-quake rebuilding draft put online

By Fu Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-17 10:04

A 50-page draft of the National Development and Reform Commission's (NDRC's) post-quake recovery plan has been posted online in both English and Chinese for public input.

A NDRC press officer surname Li told China Daily the State Council will make great efforts to gather suggestions from the international community, especially from people with experience of post-quake reconstruction. Chinadaily.com.cn has posted links to the drafts.

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UN Resident Coordinator in China Khalid Malik said that three months after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake, the United Nations has continued working closely with the international community and Chinese government, helping millions of survivors rebuild their lives.

"Our message is that the United Nations will continue to support the Chinese people in recovering from this disaster," Malik said.

While the relief phase has ended, the medium- and long-term needs are immense. He said he hoped the international community would provide greater support to Chinese authorities in their work to help quake-affected residents.

The NDRC draft, released on Wednesday, estimated reconstruction could cost 1 trillion yuan ($147 billion) - equal to Sichuan province's total economic output in 2007.

The State Council's Earthquake Rescue and Relief Headquarters said planning must accommodate quake-hit areas' real needs. It must embody the guiding principles of "putting people first, respecting nature, making overall considerations and arrangements, and engaging in scientific reconstruction".

The draft estimated primary restoration and reconstruction tasks would take about three years, at which time basic living conditions and economic development would reach or surpass pre-quake levels.