China will publish an 11-volume chronicle of the rescue and relief work following the 8.0-magnitude earthquake that struck southwestern Sichuan Province in May, according to the decision of an editorial committee that met in Beijing on Thursday.

The goals of the series would be to record the historic event, pass on lessons learned and carry forward the persevering spirit of survivors and rescuers.

Some of the volumes will cover life in the disaster area, medical aid, post-quake reconstruction and quake relief heroes. The series will come out in 2011.

State Councilor Ma Kai told the meeting that the chronicle would be a significant record of the relief work, which would strengthen mankind's fight against future natural disasters.

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences President Chen Kuiyuan, who is also the editorial committee's director, said the chronicle was the first such effort in China organized by the central government to deal with a single massive natural disaster.

(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2008)