Premier Wen Jiabao announced in Beijing on December 31, 2004 that China will add an additional 500 million yuan (60.46 million US dollars) of humanitarian aid to the Indian Ocean tsunami victims.

Wen made the announcement while meeting with diplomatic envoys from the tsunami-hit South and Southeast Asian countries and representatives of some international organizations in Beijing.

China has sent out a rescue team and more rescuers are available when needed by disaster-hit countries, Wen said.

Chinese people are very much concerned with the catastrophe and are greatly sympathetic for the victims, Wen said, expressing his condolence to the victims in the tsunami.

The international community has pledged more relief efforts for tsunami-devastated South and Southeast Asian countries as the death toll from the earthquake and tsunamis climbed to more than 115,000 Thursday.

The disaster not only hit the people in South and Southeast Asian countries, but also harmed all the people on this planet, Wen noted.

China has been frequented by natural calamities and has received the humanitarian aids from friendly nations, acknowledged the premier.

China is convinced that under the leadership of their respective governments and with the assistance from the

international communities, the tsunami-ravaged countries would recover from the disaster and re-build their home, the Chinese premier said.

Source: Xinhua