Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi attended an ASEAN-UN international pledging conference in Myanmar's biggest city of Yangon Sunday, conveying China's deepest sympathy to the people of Myanmar hard hit by a cyclone storm early this month.
Reflecting the profound goodwill of the Chinese people and feeling even more strongly the pain of the Myanmar people at a time when the whole Chinese nation are engaged in an all-out rescue and relief efforts on China's earthquake in Sichuan, the Chinese government has promptly provided 1 million U.S. dollars and 30 million Chinese yuan in emergency aid to Myanmar along with donations by the Yunnan province, Guangxi Autonomous Region and the Red Cross Society of China as well as the sending of a Chinese medical team to Myanmar cyclone-hit areas, Yang said.
"All this reflects the profound goodwill of the Chinese people to the people of Myanmar," he noted.
Pointing out that at a crucial stage in China's own earthquake relief effort, however to help the people of Myanmar through this difficult period, he said, the Chinese government has decided to provide another 10 million dollars in emergency aid to Myanmar, believing that the aid, which embodies the profound friendship of the Chinese people for the people of Myanmar, will be of some help in the country's reconstruction endeavor.
Yang expressed strong support for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations in playing a constructive role in the relief and reconstruction efforts and support for the ASEAN-led coordinating mechanism.
He highlighted the importance of three aspects -- honoring Myanmar's assistance commitment; giving full play to the role of ASEAN and the UN and strengthen regional and international cooperation; and taking note of the need for Myanmar's long-term development and serving the vital interest of its people.
China welcomes the outcome of the special ASEAN foreign ministers meeting and supports ASEAN's leading role in coordinating international assistance, he said, adding that China supports the UN in playing a bigger role.
Yang called on the international community to provide all forms of assistance as reconstruction unfolds and in the light of the actual needs of the people of Myanmar, stressing that these humanitarian undertakings should not be politicized.
He hoped that a stable and democratic Myanmar enjoying development serves the fundamental interest of the people of Myanmar and the common interest of all countries in the region.
The international pledging conference, co-organized by the ASEAN and the UN, was held to seek further international financial aid commitment for Myanmar's cyclone aid relief and rehabilitation efforts. The conference, hosted by Myanmar, was participated by 51countries and 24 UN organizations and international non-governmental organizations.
Besides China, other countries at the meeting also have pledged to provide extra assistance to Myanmar for its immediate relief and reconstruction.
Attendees included Myanmar Prime Minister General Thein Sein, ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, ASEAN Chairman and Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi along with other delegates from ASEAN member states, donor countries as well as those from UN agencies, international financial institutions and non-governmental organizations totaling over 360.
More aid from abroad continues to flow into China on Sunday for the relief efforts of the recent devastating quake, which has killed more than 60,000 people in the country's southwestern Sichuan region.
Russia, which is among the first countries to offer aid after the quake, delivered additional batches of humanitarian aid to China Sunday.
"An Il-76 cargo plane of the Emergency Situations Ministry carrying some 30 tons of disaster relief aid, including blankets and tents that are mostly needed, departed from Ramenskoye near Moscow," the Interfax news agency quoted the ministry as saying.
Another transport plane with humanitarian aid is scheduled to leave later Sunday, the ministry said.
Russia has so far sent nearly 400 tons of emergency aid, as well as rescue and medical teams, to Sichuan province, which was hit by an 8-magnitude quake on May 12.
Also on Sunday, an Israeli cargo plane carrying the second batch of relief materials left the country and headed for China.
The materials, which are worth some 1.5 million U.S. dollars, include tents, blankets, water-cleaning devices and so on.
"We would like to send our condolences to the people of China, and to try to help as far as we can, in order to express the friendship and understanding between our peoples," said Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni at a ceremony at Ben Gurion international airport before the plane took off.
Chinese Ambassador to Israel Zhao Jun thanked the Israeli government and people for their "cordial affection and generous assistance," saying the friendship between the two nations will be carried on from generation to generation.
The Boeing Company and Shenzhen Airlines launched "Flight of Hope" on Saturday to deliver nearly three tons of medical supplies to victims of the quake.
The supplies, provided by the U.S. Medical Teams International and Mercy Corps, were being carried to China on a new Boeing 737-800 airplane that Shenzhen Airlines just received Saturday.
The supplies would be transferred to a domestic flight of Shenzhen Airlines and taken to the disaster area early next week.
Meanwhile, some Singaporean companies and organizations have provided or pledged new aid to China after the Singaporean government had handed over to China relief materials worth 200,000 U.S. dollars, including gauze masks, tents, sleeping bags and food.
He Jing, president of the Temasek Holdings, said the company would like to provide 1 million dollars worth of aid for the quake relief and reconstruction in quake-hit regions.
Four Singaporean business associations including the cloth industry association have swiftly ordered 500 tents and would transfer them to the disaster regions soon.
Singapore's Tianfu association, which is made up of those from Sichuan province, handed over 200,000 Singapore dollars (148,000 U.S. dollars) in cash to a representative of the Sichuan provincial government Saturday night.
Malaysia's Hai-O Group, which sells a wide range of Chinese herbal medicines, medicated wines and health care products, Saturday held a meeting to encourage its staff to donate more for the quake victims. Its managing director Tan Kai Hee, on behalf of the Group, had already donated 200,000 Ringgit (some 57,000 U.S. dollars) to Sichuan on May 13.
The quake on May 12 has killed 62,664 people, injured 358,816 and left 23,775 missing up to Sunday noon.
Source: Xinhua
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