China wants 'one-child' compensation over NZ quake# Returnee - 海归
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China wants 'one-child' compensation over NZ quake
(03-13) 23:45 PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) --
A Chinese official said Monday that New Zealand should consider special
compensation to parents of Chinese students killed in an earthquake last
month because their loss was magnified under the country's one-child policy.
Seven students from China have been identified among the 166 confirmed
deaths in the quake that devastated Christchurch city on Feb. 22, and as
many as 20 others are still missing.
Chinese Embassy official Cheng Lei said Monday that Chinese quake victims
had lost not just their only child, but also a future breadwinner.
He said New Zealand should consider providing additional financial
assistance to those families.
"You can expect how lonely, how desperate they are ... not only from losing
loved ones, but losing almost entirely the major source of economic
assistance after retirement," Cheng told Radio New Zealand.
Such compensation would be consolation for the families of the victims "but
also a demonstration of the importance the New Zealand government attaches
to the Chinese international" students, he said.
Prime Minister John Key said New Zealand had the greatest sympathy for the
Chinese families and that they were eligible for compensation under an
existing government accident insurance fund.
"The government's made it clear it will help in terms of repatriation of
bodies and helping families so, outside of that, at this stage we don't have
any intention to make any other changes," Key told reporters.
Key also confirmed on Monday that a planned government inquiry into the
disaster would be a royal commission, a sub-judicial format that is the
highest-level investigation New Zealand's parliamentary and justice system
allows.
While the inquiry will be broad-ranging, Key said it would focus on the
collapse of the Canterbury Television and Pyne Gould Guinness Corp.
buildings in downtown Christchurch where many people died.
"We understand the need to provide answers about why such loss of life
occurred in these buildings. The government is determined to get those," Key
told a news conference.
The inquiry would thoroughly examine building codes and construction methods
, and whether they were followed.
The inquiry will make a preliminary report within six months and deliver its
final report within a year.
(03-13) 23:45 PDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) --
A Chinese official said Monday that New Zealand should consider special
compensation to parents of Chinese students killed in an earthquake last
month because their loss was magnified under the country's one-child policy.
Seven students from China have been identified among the 166 confirmed
deaths in the quake that devastated Christchurch city on Feb. 22, and as
many as 20 others are still missing.
Chinese Embassy official Cheng Lei said Monday that Chinese quake victims
had lost not just their only child, but also a future breadwinner.
He said New Zealand should consider providing additional financial
assistance to those families.
"You can expect how lonely, how desperate they are ... not only from losing
loved ones, but losing almost entirely the major source of economic
assistance after retirement," Cheng told Radio New Zealand.
Such compensation would be consolation for the families of the victims "but
also a demonstration of the importance the New Zealand government attaches
to the Chinese international" students, he said.
Prime Minister John Key said New Zealand had the greatest sympathy for the
Chinese families and that they were eligible for compensation under an
existing government accident insurance fund.
"The government's made it clear it will help in terms of repatriation of
bodies and helping families so, outside of that, at this stage we don't have
any intention to make any other changes," Key told reporters.
Key also confirmed on Monday that a planned government inquiry into the
disaster would be a royal commission, a sub-judicial format that is the
highest-level investigation New Zealand's parliamentary and justice system
allows.
While the inquiry will be broad-ranging, Key said it would focus on the
collapse of the Canterbury Television and Pyne Gould Guinness Corp.
buildings in downtown Christchurch where many people died.
"We understand the need to provide answers about why such loss of life
occurred in these buildings. The government is determined to get those," Key
told a news conference.
The inquiry would thoroughly examine building codes and construction methods
, and whether they were followed.
The inquiry will make a preliminary report within six months and deliver its
final report within a year.
