It was sunny and hot in London on 30^th June. Around 3:00 pm, 13 police officers of Birmingham Digbeth Police Station arrived at the Chinese Embassy in UK after a two-day-114-mile cycle ride, to express their compassion and sympathy to earthquake hit Sichuan and to show their support for reconstruction there.

Charge D’affaires Zhang Lirong expressed high appreciation and heartfelt thanks to the police officers for their “Charity Cycle Ride”. Zhang introduced post-earthquake reconstruction in Sichuan and the support rendered to Sichuan by other Chinese provinces. He indicated Sichuan government and people have engaged in active self-rescue, other provinces provided strong support, and the international community including UK also showed wide sympathy and gave selfless support. The righteous deed of the long Charity Cycle Ride by Digbeth Police Station officers fully demonstrates the friendly sentiments of the British people to the Chinese people, and the Chinese people in particular the quake victims will never forget.

On behalf of all the police officers, Sergeant Wiyna Ballimy of Digbeth Police Station wrote on the book of condolence “Our hearts are with the Chinese people”, and he also introduced the charity ride. Ballimy noted Digbeth Police Station is in charge of public order of China Town in Birmingham city, and have thus set up good relations with the local Chinese. Some Chinese people in Birmingham came from Sichuan and their families in China were affected by the earthquake. On the motion of young officer Steve Holden, 13 police officers of Digbeth Police Station initiated the Charity Cycle Ride and solicited 7,559.38 pounds. Ballimy passed on to Zhang Lirong the copy of the donation cheque, and indicated the money had already been remitted to the special account of the British Red Cross Society and would be passed on to the Chinese side as soon as possible.

The officers said they departed from Birmingham on the morning of the 29^th and arrived in London on the afternoon of the 30^th, and everybody was exhausted. But they were very excited on the way and thought it is meaningful to show their sympathy and compassion to the earthquake hit people in such a way. They wished the earthquake victims would overcome difficulties and rebuild their homeland as early as possible.

Zhang Lirong also gave a brief account of the development in the west of China and the preparations for the Beijing Olympics. He presented Olympics souvenirs to the guests and welcomed them to watch the Olympic Games in China.

In the afternoon, 13 officers also rode to China Town in London and visited 伦敦华埠商会会长Mr. Deng Zhuting. They returned to Birmingham in the evening.