Deva said he could not believe China’s speed and the scale of its humanitarian response giving numbers of how many people had been saved, the tents had been distributed and how life had returned to normal after weeks or months of recovery efforts.

Zhang also said that despite the immense scale of the disaster, Chinese people stayed strong, united and determined, and the relief efforts finally succeeded with the kind support of the international community.

“Ten years have passed, but we still remember those who extended helping hands to the Chinese people when we had a hard time,” said Zhang.

Zhang named Herman Van Rompuy, then-president of the European Council, who visited the affected region and the reconstruction projects jointly conducted by China and the EU, and Serge Abou, then EU ambassador to China, who went to the Chinese Foreign Ministry immediately after the disaster to make donations, for their contribution.

Zhang said: “We will never forget those European relief and medical staff who worked day and night on the ground, side by side with their Chinese colleagues.”