China largest ever foreign aid, worth 21.63 million yuan, went to tsunami-affected countries along the Indian Ocean, followed by multilateral donations of 500 million yuan and 20 million US dollars.

A relief aid of 5 million US dollars and a batch of relief materials were sent to hurricane-hit area in southern United States.

A donation of 26.73 million US dollars and 26 air shipments of rescue materials were provided to earthquake-hit Pakistan, while Chinese medical teams offered treatment to more than 2,000 people there.

China's Ministry of Commerce says that in 2005, China provided altogether 26 batches of donations to 20 countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Zambia, Mozambique, and the United States, receiving high praises from these countries and other international rescue organizations, reports People's Daily on Friday.

Although a developing country, China actively fulfills its internationalist duties and provides assistance to the best of its ability in major international emergency services, the ministry says.

After the tsunami hit some nations along the Indian Ocean, the Chinese government announced on the following day to provide humanitarian emergency assistance of 21.63 million yuan and added multilateral 500 million yuan rescue assistance and 20 million US dollars to the disaster-hit areas.

Additionally, China sent medical and international rescue teams as well as DNA testing groups to tsunami-affected countries with heavier disasters. It also took an active part in the reconstruction work. China carried out related aid projects at the fastest speed possible. In terms of both scale and value, this turned out the largest foreign emergency aid China ever made in history.

After the United States suffered Hurricane Katrina raids in its southern part, the Chinese government announced a donation of 5 million US dollars and a batch of rescue materials to the hurricane-hit areas. Relevant departments in China immediately launched an emergency assistance mechanism to ensure that the rescue work are completed swiftly and efficiently.

After a strong earthquake rocked the northern part of Pakistan, the Chinese government announced for four times that it would offer emergency aid totaling 26.73 million US dollars to Pakistan. Twenty-six shipments of rescue goods by air, weighing 1,930 tons, were delivered to the country from October 9 to November 29, 2005, which is the largest shipment of goods that China has ever made in the history of its foreign emergency rescue work. Chinese medical teams offered treatment to more than 2,000 disaster-hit people there.

A chemical plant explosion of Jilin Petrochemical Company under China National Petroleum Corp led to the heavy pollution of a section of the Songhua River. To eliminate Russian water pollution caused by the blast, the Chinese government urgently offered Russia six sets of liquid chromatograph, ancillary equipment and 150 tons of active carbon, which were delivered to the Russian city of Khabarovsk on December 3, 2005.

China decided later to provide Russia with the second batch of water testing and purifying materials to help combat the pollution, which included two chromatographic instruments and 1,000 tons of active carbon.

In addition, the Chinese government offered emergency assistance to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Viet Nam in terms of bird flu prevention. It also provided emergency aids in goods and cash to Rumanian flood disaster, Iranian earthquake, plague of locusts and cholera in Guinea-Bissau, blast in an explosive plant in Zambia, Ecuador's dengue fever and Uruguay's hurricane. China also provided emergency food assistance to Nigeria, Burundi, Lesotho, Djibouti, Zambia and Mozambique when these nations needed the help urgently, which were deeply welcomed by the local people and won praises from the international society.

By People's Daily Online