The reconstruction of 51 earthquake-devastated counties and cities, involving a population of nearly 20 million in three provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi, is undoubtedly the largest, most complicated and costly national project of its kind in China's history.

A special team was organized to prepare the reconstruction plan immediately after the quake. And this team published its plan online on Tuesday to solicit opinions from home and abroad.

What is noteworthy is the fact that the plan was mapped out on the basis of investigations and researches by hundreds of experts. At the same time, suggestions from local governments of the quake-affected localities were heard, seminars held and public opinions solicited online.

These efforts are essential in that money pooled for the reconstruction must be spent where it is most urgently needed.

Of the 237 cities and counties that were affected by the tremor, only 51 were involved in the State rebuilding plan as investigations and studies show that they were struck most severely and suffered the worst losses and needed most urgent help.

The reconstruction plans for the rest of the counties and cities will be made by provincial governments and will also get financial aid from the central government.

The division of the 51 cities and counties into three types of areas for reconstruction indicates how exhaustive this plan is. They are areas moderately fit for reconstruction, adequately fit for reconstruction and only fit for ecological rehabilitation. They are so divided because the geographic conditions of these counties and cities are so different. Some are in the plains, where residents can be relatively concentrated and are therefore fit for large-scale reconstruction. Some in mountainous areas are vulnerable to natural disasters and fit only for moderate rebuilding of some townships or villages. Ecological conditions in some counties are quite fragile and they do not have enough resources for and are ecologically incapable of sustaining a large population. So only villages and corresponding public utilities will be rebuilt on condition that the local ecology is well protected.

As far as the rebuilding of a damaged county proper is concerned, the plan specifies five different situations according to the degree of damage a county proper has suffered. For those counties that the plan recommends for rebuilding in new locations, further discussions will decide whether they need to be shifted to a different location and where they need to be rebuilt.

The plan is made in such detail because every county will want to get as much money as possible from the central government for reconstruction. But the plan must make sure that every penny is spent where it definitely should be.

A good beginning is half the work done. What is mentioned above suggests that enough caution has been employed in making this plan.

(China Daily August 15, 2008)