BEIJING, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- China will provide additional humanitarian aid including 25,000 tents to flood-devastated Pakistan, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Monday.
The Red Cross Society of China will also provide 300,000 U.S. dollars in emergency cash assistance to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, Zhao said.
Zhao said the decision to increase the humanitarian aid was made in view of further development of the disaster and Pakistan's disaster-relief need.
China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners, true friends and good brothers sharing weal and woe. Since the floods started to ravage Pakistan, China has been concerned about the affected people in the country, and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has expressed sympathy to Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Zhao said.
Under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China has provided 4,000 tents, 50,000 blankets, and 50,000 pieces of waterproof canvas.
"We will never forget that Pakistan rushed to our assistance after the Wenchuan earthquake (in China) in 2008 and sent all its tents in stock to the stricken area, which deeply touched the Chinese people," Zhao said. "We also stand with our brotherly Pakistani people in face of this flood."
He said China will strengthen cooperation with Pakistan on disaster prevention and mitigation, and provide more assistance to Pakistan in fighting floods and post-disaster reconstruction.
The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and the Pakistani Embassy in China are contacting relevant enterprises and various sectors to raise funds. Hopefully, the Pakistani people will overcome the floods and rebuild their homeland as early as possible, he added. ■
