TO: Alan Dickson

We Chinese people have been touched by all of things occurring in Sichuan Province since 12, May. We are proud of our government, our army and our national industry. Your question is what our government want to resolve, but not now, when we need to search for more surviors.

Zhang Pei, Zhengzhou, China

Prime Minister Wen JiaBao is so lively in our eyes. Only he can compare the deceased Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. They two are our people's good premier.

wuyaowen, Beibei,Chongqing, China

I have heavily criticised the Chinese government on Tibet and human rights issues. Despite this I applaud the efforts made by the Chinese Government to help people affected by the quake. What matters most is the people get the help they need. It doesn't matter who does it or why it is done.

Wendy, Hull, UK

My wife's family were at the center of the disaster. They lost only their home, not their lives or that of their children like so many. We travel to China in four days, to support them and give blood. I hope in time the politicians explain why public buildings did not withstand the earthquake.

Alan Dickson, Edinburgh, Scotland

I am a Chinese in mainland China. I am proud of being a Chinese in such a time of natural disaster. Seeing our Prime Minister Wen Jia Bao comforting the victims and giving morale to the P.L.A. personnels, I can help shedding my tears. Can any citizen in this world have greater faith in their governm

Bloomer, Shanghai, China

If the powerful earthquake just happened in your country,
I don't know what would do. But one thing I am for sure is
English people will unit together and would donate everything the victimes need.But the quake happened in China,and we unit together.

Yu Han , Weihai, CHINA

i am moved by the sincere wishes and warm-hearted words from the western readers. but i really feel disapointed by the reports on the western media it seems some reporters really have a stony heart and turn a blind eye to what the quake victims are suffering and what efforts the gov has made.

charlie, anqing, china

Not easy . We joint together to face to the difficulty. We also need more internatioanal help.

The soilders arrived in 8 hours, and many volunteers steped into the earthquake region to be rescurer.

Leo, Guangzhou, China

Stay at home and you are "out of touch" or "uncaring". Go to the disaster zone and you are a "cynical actor" doing "PR stunts for the TV cameras" However, it is still better to visit the diasater zone!

And remember your Chinese history: Who visited Tangshen and benifited politically? - Hua Guofen

andyb, Manchester, UK

The natural disaster is far away from politics. It is a thing the whole world should pay attention to, because it is caused by the inside movement of the earth not by the Chinese government!
We live on the same planet, so we should face all natural disasters together!

Mandy, Beijing, China

This really is not a time for one-upmanship (as if ever is) talking about whom has the better political system or who react better etc etc. Just hold enourmous respect for those working so hard to save the survivors and feel for those who have not been so lucky. Nationality is irrelavent.

Dave Williams, Beijing, China

No investigation，no words."slow and uncoordinated".I was completely shocked! The truth is, when the disaster happened at 2:28p.m. Prime Minister Wen was on the plane to the disaster area at 2:50p.m.

Sue, Henan, China

Dylan, a reaction time of 8 hours is actually quite good. It is always easy to point out what should have been done when you can look back on it from a distance. just look at the logistics involved, we're talking about a very large city with its infrastructure in ruins. Well done China.

Capt. Joost Van Haasen, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Congratulations to China for the way it's people and prime minister are responding to such an enormous disaster.Let's not forget those appalling scenes of thousands of poor American left stranded and neglected by Bush et al. in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.Compare and contrast.

dan, bristol, uk

The Times follows the accepted wisdom to describe this disaster: i.e. the response shows 'openness' and 'competancy'. Really? That is not how critical Chinese media are describing it. The response was slow and uncoordinated, no better than 1976. The state dithered for more than 8 hours.

Dylan, London, UK

"the western way is not the only way". has anyone noticed the number of chinese blogs here which puts paid to the censorship issue. if it was state sponsored blogs, i'm sure the level of english would be higher. talk of democracy and dictatorships is irrelevant here.

wu, andover,

Whilst the immediate focus must be on rescue, politics and competence are well worth discussing. It's because of politics, and more so competence, that an extra 100,000 people have murdered by the Burmese Junta. In China, for once, we've seen a dictatorship respond efficiently and compassionately.

Alex, Tunbridge Wells,

It should not be a potical or a East -West thing.I really appreciate you said that.And being together is what we dreaming of whenever we are struck by powerful disaster.
just let the aunotomous arguments go.we don't care about it,now we really care about are victims in the catastrophe

chen, wu xi, China

I want to say that it is in the emergent situation that we can really see the unity of the country.
I've never realised the wholehearted support and love towards our great nation until recently.
It seems that all people around me care the people in the disaster-stricken areas more than themselves.

Janet, Zhejiang, China

Life is precious, to everyone ,every race and every country. Eventhough the disaster happened ten thousand miles away from the western world and you might know any of those people, please pray for their survial, It is not a right time to curse the so called "heil communist and bloody politics"

Yue Xin, Tempe,

The devastation caused tens of thousands of deaths, hundreds of thousands injured and millions made homeless. In an instant so many parents have lost their only child and so many children became orphans.
Helping and caring for those in need is far more important than political jostling. Give Aid!

John, Bracknell, UK

I just wish the best for all the peoples that have been hurt by this disater. It should not be a potical or a East -West thing. Everybody should pull together to help the injuried and the ones helping to resuce.

John, Globe, USA

may be your eyes that our prime minister's doing is just for the political reason, but what he had done really comfort the people suffering the disater!!I think highly of his doing,and all my classmates and i both like our prime minister!!

liucat, helongjiang, china

I'm amazed that people are focusing so much on the politics. The BBC ran an article comparing the reactions in Rangoon and Burma. Seeing the suffering & experience the willingness of fellow Chengdu residents to help, I can't help feeling part of the human race, not a particular nationality or creed

Leonard, Chengdu, China

in 1976, tangshan earthquake, china's army did a fairly good job although china did refuse the international aid workers. please google the time of that earthquake and the infrastructures of that city and then you understand the reason of such a high death toll. learn more, then say more.

ran, york,

I agree with you. This is NOT a political game!!
US government didn't do anything better than Chinese government comparing the two disasters.
I read from somewhere I could not remember that US aided $500,000 for relief, which is a joke.

lin zhang, Melbourne, Australia

thisis the end of the world wat to doooooooooooo

china, bothell, washington

I am not sure if there is any humanity left in the western world. It is a nature disaster not a political game. Why you must connect everything to political issue. The western way is not the only way. When flood stroke New Oreland, I did not see similar large-scale rescue action from US government.

Kuan Yan, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands