Chinese President Hu Jintao meets with representatives of the Russian rescue team

On the evening of May 23, 2008, President Hu Jintao, accompanied by visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, met at the Great Hall of the People with representatives of the Russian rescue team and highly commended their relief efforts in China's quake-hit Sichuan province.

Hu said the rescue team did an "arduous job" and "took the risks" of fully engaging in the rescue work and saved a 61-year-old Chinese woman who had been buried for 127 hours. "Your act not only demonstrated great humanitarian spirit, but also revealed the Russian people's friendly affection toward the Chinese people." Hu added: "I am grateful to all of you on behalf of the Chinese people."

Igor Korneyev, a member of the Russian team, said Hu's meeting with them was the highest praise of their work, for which they felt much honored. He said the Russian team expressed deep condolences over the casualties and losses of the Chinese people in the quake disaster. The rescuers appreciated the Chinese people's support for their rescue work and wished for ever-lasting friendship between the two peoples.

The Russian rescue team arrived in the disaster area on May 16 for rescue work after the Wenchuan earthquake. On May 17, the rescue team saved a 61-year-old Chinese woman who had been buried for 127 hours in quake-ravaged Dujiangyan City.