China pledges US$88 million

cctv.com 01-10-2005 10:42

The Chinese military is playing a key role in transporting emergency relief supplies to a number of tsunami-hit countries. Beijing has pledged a total of more 720 million yuan, that's nearly 90 million US dollars.

The Chinese military has so far collected 500 tons of relief goods. It's also taken into consideration that some of the disaster-ravaged regions are Islamic countries.

Zhou Helin, Sr. Colonel from Logistics Dept. of Military Supplies, said: "We did consider a lot about the life style in some tsunami-hit Islamic nations. So we've made a very careful choice in selecting materials and supplies. Even the packaging is particularly designed for the special demand."

Rescue work has transferred its focus from saving lives to post-disaster reconstruction. After rice, relief aid is mostly panels for portable houses, as well as building equipment and materials.

The Chinese government started its overseas humanitarian emergency aid system in 2002. The rescue relief involves efforts from the foreign and commerce ministries, as well as the military.

Editor:Wang Ping  Source:CCTV.com