GOOD CHAT: Mr Yeo (left) and Mr Dai at yesterday's meeting, during which they discussed the Sichuan quake and Mr Yeo conveyed Singapore's sympathies. -- PHOTO: SIM CHI YIN

In talks with Mr Li Jingtian, executive vice-president of the elite Central Party School, Mr Yeo gave the thumbs-up to 'how within a few minutes, the whole country and the whole world was kept informed of the disaster and minute by minute how assistance reached very remote areas'.

Rescue work is ongoing after Monday's 7.9-magnitude quake, which has killed more than 22,000 people in the south-western province.

Calling on Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo yesterday morning, Mr Yeo also noted the clear contrast the current episode offers against the backdrop of China's worst-ever quake in Tangshan in 1976.

Then, the central government learnt of the disaster's severity only when a survivor drove an ambulance to Beijing to report it and the death toll was kept secret for three years. Even in the more recent cases of the Sars outbreak in 2003 and the Tibet riots in March, Beijing's knee-jerk reaction was to impose a news blackout.

But this time, China has put out round- the-clock news bulletins and provided updates on the mounting death toll and ongoing rescue efforts.

Managing Western media 'I think they are learning by the day. They were surprised by the strongly negative reaction which they encountered in Western countries, in some ways it was a great disappointment to them. But it also aroused in the Chinese people strong, even fierce nationalism, of wanting to rally round the flag in defending China's position. 'But any extreme reaction is not a good thing, and I believe that over time, they are beginning to find that balance and learning to manage the Western media. ... more

If that impresses the outside world, the Chinese people have been deeply moved by television images of a sobbing Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao comforting quake victims out in the disaster zone, Mr Yeo said, speaking to Singapore reporters.

'All this is beamed to the Chinese people, giving them a sense of common cause. It has aroused in them a tremendous sense of solidarity, working together, of feeling as one,' he said.

Mr Yeo, who is on a four-day official visit to China following a trip to North Korea, conveyed the Singapore Government and people's deepest sympathies to Mr Dai.

He also told Mr Dai that he had received many e-mails from Singaporeans asking how they could help.

'It is interesting too the way Singaporeans are reacting to the tragedy in Sichuan, donations have been pouring in - yesterday was S$1.5 million, today I understand that it's S$15 million,' Mr Yeo told reporters yesterday.

'With the world getting smaller, with instantaneous communication, people are able to relate to tragedies, whether it's cyclone in Myanmar or earthquake in Sichuan, as if it happens next door.

'It is good that Singaporeans are reacting in a compassionate way, sharing in joys and misfortunes of others.'

Yesterday, a 55-member rescue contingent from Singapore which includes officers from the elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Dart) arrived in Sichuan's Shifang city to help with rescue work.

Mr Yeo said they were activated yesterday morning, soon after China accepted the offer of help around 1am.

In recent days, China has broken from its traditional reluctance to use help from foreign countries, accepting rescue teams from Japan and South Korea.

Mr Yeo said: 'We are one of the few countries which have been asked to help in the first phase, but I'm sure in the coming days, more countries would be asked to assist as well.'

Mr Dai told Mr Yeo that he appreciated Singapore's aid, the official Xinhua news agency reported .

Describing his 'rather extended' talks with Mr Dai as 'a good conversation', Mr Yeo said that besides the quake, they also spoke about the rise of China, the international reaction to it, and the protest-plagued Olympic torch relay.

Critics say Beijing's handling of media coverage on the Tibet unrest and the torch relay protests had been far from transparent and unbecoming of a large, confident nation.

Mr Yeo told reporters: 'I think they are learning by the day.'

The Chinese are in a 'learning phase', the minister said. 'They scour the world for ideas, for inspiration before applying these ideas to specific conditions in China.'

Mr Yeo said: 'I was quite touched when the vice-president of the Party School said that the things they learn from Singapore are readily usable and he attributed this to the fact that we share so many cultural similarities.'

Last night, the minister also met Mr Li Yuanchao, politburo member and head of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee's organisation department - the party's nerve centre.

Mr Yeo will call on Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi today before flying home.

simcy@sph.com.sg