We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the survivors of the May 12th Sichuan earthquake and to all those who lost loved ones.

美中今日谨此向512汶川大地震中的罹难者致以沉痛哀悼,向幸存者和失去亲人的中国同胞表示深切同情。

The character above is pronounced “ai” and expresses grief. White is the traditional color of mourning in China, though many who are grieving now wear black armbands or pin a bit of black cloth to their sleeves.

We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the survivors of the May 12th Sichuan earthquake and to all those who lost loved ones. This is a tragedy of historic proportions and our thoughts are with the millions working to rebuild their lives. We also want to express our admiration for all those who have already contributed to the relief effort, offering the injured and homeless care, supplies, and hope. Reconstructing these communities will take time and money and we hope that US-China Today readers will be among those supporting this effort.

To contribute to the relief effort , please go to the USC US-China Institute’s list of charitable organizations here.