Top leaders mourn quake victims

Seven days have passed since the magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Yushu in northwest China's Qinghai province. The death toll has now exceeded two-thousand, while the full extent of the damage is yet to be known.

Chinese top leaders Hu Jintao (C), Wu Bangguo (4th R), Wen Jiabao (4th L),  Jia Qinglin (3rd R), Li Changchun (3rd L), Xi Jinping (2nd R), Li Keqiang (2nd L), He Guoqiang (1st R) and Zhou Yongkang (1st L), mourn for the victims of Yushu  earthquake, during the start of the meeting of the Standing Committee members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, April 21, 2010.(Xinhua/Li Xueren)

A day of nationwide mourning activities are taking place in China for victims of the earthquake. Across the country, the Chinese national flag flies at half mast. Public entertainment activities have been suspended.

This morning, Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, paid a silent tribute to the victims of the earthquake.

The other members of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee also attended the mourning ceremony in Beijing. Right after the earthquake struck, President Hu Jintao cut short his visit to Latin America and toured the worst-hit areas immediately after his return to China. Premier Wen Jiabao also postponed his foreign trip to guide the rescue and relief operations.