A Chinese rescue team is heading for areas hit hardest in Friday's powerful earthquake in in Myanmar, after landing at the Yangon airport on Saturday afternoon local time.
As the team approached the epicenter in the Mandalay region, road damage became more pronounced, according to Chinese reporters traveling with the rescuers.
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Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Local Chinese nationals have also joined in the relief efforts.
Chinese experts are assisting in the rescuers' work through phone calls and text messages amid an internet service blackout.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit the Southeast Asian country at around 12:50 local time (06:20 GMT) on Friday, with Mandalay, Bago, Magway, the northeastern Shan state, Sagaing, and the capital city Nay Pyi Taw among the hardest-hit regions.
As of Saturday night local time, the earthquake had claimed the lives of 1,644 people, injured 3,408 others, and left another 139 people accounted for, according to Myanmar's Information Team of the State Administration Council.
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
Chinese rescue team heading for Mandalay to aid quake relief efforts
The mainland will never tolerate any Taiwan secessionist activities and will deal a strong blow to Lai Ching-te's rampant provocative behaviors, said a China Media Group (CMG) commentary on Tuesday.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on Tuesday started to conduct joint exercises around the Taiwan Island, with army, navy, air and rocket forces closing in on the island from multiple directions, said Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for the theater command.
Shi said the drills serve as a stern warning and forceful deterrent against separatist forces seeking "Taiwan secession", and are a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China's sovereignty and national unity.
On the same day, Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the exercises serve as a resolute punishment for Lai Ching-te authorities' blatant "Taiwan secession" provocations, and a necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The PLA is taking thunderous actions to sternly warn Lai Ching-te that "Taiwan secession" is a dead end, and seeking secession will only lead to self-destruction.
The exercises have shown that the PLA has more and more tools and means to target Taiwan separatists, with advanced fighters and vessels such as J-10, Y-20, Z-10, H-6K, J-20, and Type 054A frigate able to deafen and blind the separatist forces. Lai Ching-te's reckless moves will only result in his own crushing defeat in front of the impregnable fortress of the PLA's overwhelming strength.
As long as the "Taiwan secession" provocations continue, the PLA will never stop fighting. Every time Lai Ching-te takes rampant provocative action, the PLA will take a further step to advance its deterrence and punishment.
Lai Ching-te has recently blatantly defined the mainland as a "hostile force abroad" and put forward the so-called "Lai 17 Articles", inciting confrontations and undermining the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait. It is imperative to target and punish him for his arrogant attitude and rampant behaviors to seek secession.
The PLA drills, in which multiple ships and aircraft will get close to the Taiwan Island, and conduct sea-air combat-readiness patrols, joint seizure of comprehensive control, assault on maritime and ground targets, and blockade of key areas and sea lanes, are aimed at completely shattering Lai Ching-te authorities' fantasy of seeking "Taiwan secession" by force with foreign support, making it unable to bluff and deceive the people on the island.
Taiwan belongs to all the Chinese people. The PLA is always ready for fighting, can fight at any time, and will win if it fights. It aims to target Taiwan secessionist activities, by no means the ordinary Taiwan compatriots.
It is hoped that the compatriots in Taiwan will stand on the right side of history and work with their compatriots on the mainland to firmly oppose Taiwan secessionist forces and external interference, protect the common home of the Chinese nation, and create a bright future of national reunification and rejuvenation.
Mainland never tolerate any Taiwan secessionist activities
