Rescue work ongoing after 7.3-magnitude quake hits Vanuatu

Rescue work is ongoing after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu on Tuesday, causing widespread damage and building collapses in the Pacific Island country and leaving at least one person dead, according to reports.

The quake struck approximately 37 km from the capital Port Vila at 12:47 local time on Tuesday, leading to a tsunami warning being issued which was later lifted by authorities.

As rescue efforts continue, a mass casualty triage has been set up at a hospital in Port Vila, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

Video footage from the capital showed buildings have suffered varying degrees of damage, with some collapsing, while landslides have also been reported. Video taken by an overseas Chinese resident showed cracks appearing on an asphalt road.

Vanuatu is also facing communication difficulties in the wake of the quake, with a reporter from China Central Television (CCTV) saying he was unable to contact overseas Chinese residents in Port Vila.

The reporter, who is based on Espiritu Santo Island some 200 kilometers north of the capital, noted there were clear tremors felt there.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicenter was measured at a depth of 43 km, while a the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also raised an alert in the area shortly after the quake struck.

Pacific Island countries such as Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu lie on the notorious Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones where continental plates collide, producing frequent seismic activities.

Rescue work ongoing after 7.3-magnitude quake hits Vanuatu

China's foreign policy in 2024 has paved the way for building a community with a shared future for mankind and the head-of-state diplomacy in the past year has led to peaceful developments and cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday at a foreign policy symposium in Beijing.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind has been established as the noble goal of China's major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said at the Symposium on the International Situation and China's Foreign Relations in 2024.

"China's diplomacy in 2024 remained upright and innovative at a historical juncture, demonstrated confidence in the face of chaos, created a good external environment for China's high-quality development, and injected precious stability into a turbulent world," Wang said. He said over the past year, Chinese modernization and the country's high-quality development have also offered opportunities for the rest of the world.

China has also been working with the Global South to set a new example of cooperation among developing countries, he said.

On China-U.S. relations, Wang said he believes that the two sides can get major issues sorted if they cooperate. He noted that China opposes the illegal and unreasonable suppression by the United States and firmly safeguards its sovereignty, security, and development interests.

China's diplomacy in 2024 injects stability into turbulent world: FM