H. Res. 1324 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
May 20, 2010. 
Whereas, on April 14, 2010, an earthquake measuring 6.9 on 
the Richter scale struck the Qinghai province of south-
west China; 
Whereas the China Earthquake Networks Administration 
confirmed the earthquake struck in Yushu County, a re-
mote and mountainous area sparsely populated by farm-
ers and herdsmen; 
Whereas the population of Yushu County is overwhelmingly 
poor, with rural residents earning an average of $342 a 
year, largely from agriculture; 
Whereas at least 18 aftershocks measuring more than 6.0 on 
the Richter scale followed the quake throughout the day 
in the seismically active zone; 
Whereas over 2,000 people have been killed and over 10,000 
injured, numbers that are feared to climb; 
Whereas an unknown number of individuals remain buried in 
debris as soldiers work around the clock to dig them out 
by hand; 
Whereas at least 40 people remain trapped under a collapsed 
office building that houses the local Departments of Com-
merce and Industry of the Peoples Republic of China and
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many children and young adults still lie beneath the rub-
ble of collapsed primary and vocational schools; 
Whereas officials expect the death toll will rise because rescue 
efforts are stymied by a lack of heavy equipment and the 
mountainous terrain; 
Whereas medical supplies and tents are also in short supply; 
Whereas China Central Television and the Red Cross Society 
of China estimate that 90 percent of homes and 70 per-
cent of schools in the region have been destroyed; 
Whereas the region that includes Yushu County is located on 
the Tibetan plateau, and many villages sit well above 
16,000 feet, with freezing temperatures not uncommon in 
mid-April; 
Whereas by the evening of April 14, 2010, temperatures in 
the county seat had already reached 27 degrees Fahr-
enheit; 
Whereas thousands of Tibetan monks, many of whom trav-
eled long distances from other Tibetan areas, have played 
a vital role in relief efforts, providing food and assistance, 
and tending to the basic and spiritual needs of the vic-
tims; 
Whereas in order to prevent a flood, workers are racing to 
release water from a reservoir in the disaster area after 
discovering that a crack had formed in the dam due to 
the earthquake; 
Whereas many survivors have already fled to the surrounding 
mountains, amid fears that a nearby dam could be rup-
tured by the aftershocks hitting the area; 
Whereas news media reported that 700 paramilitary officers 
are already working in the quake zone and that more
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than 4,000 others will be sent to assist in search and res-
cue efforts; 
Whereas the Civil Affairs Ministry said it would also send 
5,000 tents and 100,000 coats and blankets; and 
Whereas the international community is sending much needed 
supplies and supporting local Chinese relief efforts: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) expresses its deepest condolences and sym-
pathies for the loss of life and the physical and psycho-
logical damage caused by the earthquake of April 14, 
2010; 
(2) expresses solidarity with the people of the 
Qinghai province, Tibetan-Americans, Chinese-Ameri-
cans, and all those who have lost loved ones or have oth-
erwise been affected by the tragedy, including rescue and 
humanitarian workers; 
(3) reaffirms the United States pledge, issued by 
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, to stand 
ready to assist the people of China during this difficult 
period; and 
(4) expresses support for the recovery and long- 
term reconstruction needs of the residents of the areas 
affected by the earthquake, including the restoration of 
monasteries and other Tibetan Buddhist sites that are
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integral to the preservation of Tibetan culture and reli-
gious traditions. 
Attest: 
Clerk.