China feels it has an obligation to provide humanitarian aid to countries in need of help despite its relatively low per capita economic output.

Assistant Minister of Commerce Chen Jian made the remarks here Wednesday at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office.

The official said that China remains a developing country and its per capita GDP is and will remain at a relatively low level for a long time to come.

The country still has tens of millions of poverty-stricken people, coupled with a considerable disparity of economic development between urban and rural areas as well as between regions, he said.

Being generous and friendly with others is a traditional Chinese virtue, he said.

"Therefore we are more than willing to provide as much help as we can when others encounter difficulties and need help."

Natural disasters are a common foe of the international community and each country is obliged to fight disasters and protect mankind's shared home, he said.

In 2005, the Chinese government engaged in major international emergency relief operations such as the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the hurricane disasters in the United States and the earthquake in Pakistan.

China also provided relief for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Vietnam on preventing and controlling bird flu, and offered emergency relief in cash or kind during the flood in Romania, the earthquake in Iran, the locust plague and cholera in Guinea-Bissau, the Dengue fever in Ecuador and the hurricane in Uruguay, he said.

As its economy grows, China will be in a better position to take part in international emergency relief efforts, he said.

Source: Xinhua