Chile Miners Trapped in Mine

SHANGHAI — In a country where mining tragedies are common, there was jubilation Wednesday at a rescue operation that was attempting to lift 33 miners to safety after a lengthy ordeal in Chile. And there was a sense that China was not just sympathetic but had contributed something.

Multimedia

Interactive Feature

Chilean Miners: 17 Rescued, 16 Waiting

Interactive Graphic

A Final Rescue Phase

Slide Show

Chile Mine Rescue Operation Under Way

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Times Topic: Chile Mining Accident (2010)

The Chinese state-run news media reported earlier in the week that the rescue effort was being aided by parts from a Chinese-made crane — the SCC4000 crawler. According to the Chinese media, the parts were manufactured by the Shanghai Sany Group.

But even before those details were known, the rescue operation had received widespread news coverage in the Chinese media and was lauded as heroic and courageous.

So when the crane went into operation early Wednesday Beijing time, the official Xinhua News Agency released photo after photo of the rescue efforts. News headlines about the operation were sent to mobile phones and posted on Chinese Web sites. And Chinese Netizens commented on what they called a “heart-warming” story.

Guan Yanping, a poet and blogger, wrote: “That Chilean mine accident, as a matter of fact, has nothing to do with me. But because I’m reading about their news every day, I now feel as if my family were also trapped underground.”

Xinhua called the rescue “a miracle” and People’s Daily, the Communist Party newspaper, boasted, “a heavy crane employed on...