China has fulfilled its aid pledge, official says

China has transferred 687.63 million yuan (US$ 87 million) of donations to tsunami-hit countries in the Indian Ocean, carrying out its pledge in full, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday.

"All Chinese donations to the countries stricken by the Indian Ocean tsunami have been made, with most construction projects having been completed and projects still under construction proceeding smoothly," Qin said, responding to a question about the Chinese Government donations.

The Chinese Government and people extend deep sympathy and condolence to disaster-hit countries and peoples for their great loss, Qin said, noting that this is the biggest emergency relief package that China has provided since 1949.

The very next day after the catastrophic tsunami occurred in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, the Chinese Government announced that it would provide 21.63 million yuan (US$2.73 million) worth of emergency humanitarian relief in kind and cash. Later it added disaster assistance of 500 million yuan (US$ 73.3 million) and multilateral donations of about 166 million yuan (US$ 21 million).

The Chinese Government and people's actions were an embodiment of its good-neighbourly policy of "forging friendship and partnership with neighbours" and were highly appreciated by governments and people from the tsunami-hit countries as well as the international community, the spokesman said.

Also, the tsunami disaster generated an immediate worldwide response to help with aid pledges totally US$13.6 billion, including official aid and private donations.

Source: China Daily