THE HANDS OF A CRADLE: A member of the Chinese anti-riot peacekeeping police team in Haiti cares for an injured Haitian baby at an orphanage in Port-au-Prince on January 30 (WU XIAOLING)

On May 12, 2008, one of the biggest earthquakes in modern Chinese history leveled much of Sichuan, claimed some 70,000 lives, injured more than 300,000 people and left 5 million homeless.

Though an unmitigated disaster, it also proved a rallying cry: The Chinese Government immediately pledged 1 trillion yuan ($146.5 billion) in assistance and, before a national mourning was even declared, a massive recovery effort got fully underway.

Just over 20 months later, a devastating earthquake jolted Haiti, claimed more than 200,000 lives and brought the already impoverished Caribbean nation to its knees. Now, the long suffering country, barely able to self-govern at the best of times, is all but at the mercy of international humanitarian aid.

To this end, many analysts believe the international community that has since scrambled to Haiti's cause can learn much from China. Moreover, they say, Beijing's rapid response, restoration of services and reconstruction for the people of Sichuan is a template for success amid the rubble.

DIAGNOSES AMID DEVASTATION: A Chinese doctor treats Haitian patients at a shelter for earthquake victims in Port-au-Prince on February 1 (WU XIAOLING)

Indeed, in many ways, despite the immense devastation the 8.0-magitude Sichuan quake—with Wenchuan as its epicenter—left behind, affected regions have since begun to take on a new look, one of rebuilt homes and businesses from the ground up, that is.

This was no accident. "China's experience in addressing the aftermath of the Wenchuan earthquake—offering accessible medical services, preventing infectious diseases in earthquake-hit areas and ensuring efficient logistical support—is applicable to Haiti," said Wu Hongying, Director of the Division of Latin American Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

Pressing tasks

But before reconstruction can begin, meeting the basic needs of earthquake survivors while maintaining law and order, Wu said, remain the biggest priorities.

Since the earthquake shattered Haiti's already faltering government, with its presidential palace destroyed and many of its senior officials dead, she said, the functioning government in Port-au-Prince needs to rebuild its administrative system as fast as possible to coordinate aid services.

The international community, working alongside the Haitian Government, needs to attend to rebuilding transportation infrastructure, such as roads, and air and seaports in Port-au-Prince, in short order so international aid can be delivered in a timely fashion.

Shelter is also critical for hundreds of thousands of homeless people, while efforts should be made to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases—two things that she believes must be addressed by the Haitian Government and the international community.