YAOUNDE, June 18 (Xinhua) -- A handover ceremony for China's emergency food aid to Cameroon was held Thursday in the commercial hub of Douala.
The donation comprises 880 tons of wheat and 1,630 tons of rice worth 20 million yuan (about 2.96 million U.S. dollars).
Three batches of the food have already arrived at the port of Douala, comprising 880 tons of wheat and 552 tons of rice. The final two batches are expected to arrive on Sunday.
Cameroon's Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, who presided over the event, said the donation will significantly augment the government's efforts to alleviate food insecurity.
He said priority will be given to households in the country's Northwest, Southwest, Far North, East, and Adamawa regions that are affected by conflicts.
"This is a very important donation and on behalf of the government of Cameroon, I sincerely thank the people of China and the Chinese government," Atanga Nji said. "Sino-Cameroonian relations are very fruitful and continue to be reinforced day after day. This gesture is not merely an act of goodwill; it is a testament to the mutually beneficial relations."
For his part, Xiao Guofeng, economic and trade counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Cameroon, said the food donation project is one of the 10 concrete actions within the framework of the 2024 Beijing Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit.
"This food donation is a concrete example of Sino-Cameroonian friendship and embodies our African policy based on the principles of 'sincerity, solidarity, friendship and candor,' as well as a sound understanding of friendship and shared interests," Xiao said.
"Regardless of developments in the international situation, China will always remain a friend and partner on which Cameroon can rely," Xiao said. "In the future, we are willing to work hand in hand with Cameroon to deepen pragmatic cooperation in all areas, continuously enrich the content of our overall partnership and make the tree of our friendship bear more fruit." ■