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International Community Offers More Condolences, Aid for China's Earthquake (XXI)
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2008/05/20 |
More countries and international organizations have, by various means, offered their condolences and aid in the wake of the deadly earthquake in southwestern China. Timor L'este President Jose Ramos-Horta sent a message to Chinese President Hu Jintao to express his condolences. Among the leaders who sent messages to Chairman Wu Bangguo of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) are Speaker of the Zambian National Assembly, Amusaa K. Mwanamwambwa; President of the Cambodian National Assembly, Heng Samrin; Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa Tolofuaivalelei Falemoe Leiataua. Speaker of the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives, Teshome Toga also offered his condolences to China. The Senate of Chile adopted a resolution to express its condolences and support to China in the wake of the quake. Foreign leaders who have sent messages of condolence to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao include Jordanian Prime Minister Nader al-Dahabi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also offered his condolences. Indian Vice President Mamid Ansari sent a message of condolence to Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. Foreign officials who sent messages of condolence to Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi included Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, Sierra Leone Foreign Minister Zainab Hawa Bangura, Foreign Minister of the Cook Islands Wilkie Rasmussen and Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Abdullah al-Kurbi. Also expressing condolences to China were President of the World Health Assembly Leslie Ramsammy, the acting secretary general of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, United Nations Human Settlements Program Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka and the Russian chairman of the China-Russia Friendship Committee for Peace and Development, Leonid Drachevsky. The Republic of Korea (ROK) government has pledged to provide an additional 4 million U.S. dollars worth of relief materials. ROK aid has now topped 5 million dollars. Australia pledged to provide a further 1 million dollars (0.95 million U.S. dollars) to China to help rescue and recovery efforts. Australian aid has now topped 2 million dollars. The German government has pledged 2.5 million euros (3.8 million U.S. dollars) of Chinese-German development aid to China's earthquake relief work. The German government earlier provided 1.5million euros (2.3 million U.S. dollars) of relief funding. Britain has pledged to provide a further 1 million pounds' (2 million U.S. dollars) worth of relief materials. British aid to China has topped 2 million pounds (4 million U.S. dollars). Italy is to provide a further 500,000 euros (750,000 U.S. dollars) in aid for China's disaster relief efforts. Italian aid has now reached 2.5 million euros (3.8 million U.S. dollars). The Slovak government has pledged to send 29 million Slovak korunas' (1.4 million U.S. dollars) worth of relief materials. The Ukrainian government announced it is to send 80 tons of relief materials to China. The government of Belarus will send 20 tons of relief materials. The Gabonese government will send 500,000 U.S. dollars in aid to China. Madagascar will donate 100,000 U.S. dollars to earthquake victims in southwestern China. The Iranian government will increase its relief material shipments to China from 64.2 tons to 150 tons. A first batch of 20tons has arrived in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province. The Saudi Arabian government is to provide further relief materials to China, after having donated 50 million U.S. dollars in cash and 10 million U.S. dollars' worth of materials. The first shipment of materials has reached Chengdu. The fifth and sixth shipments of Russian relief materials have also arrived in Chengdu. The Arab diplomatic corps in China donated 50,000 RMB yuan to the disaster-stricken areas. The Caribbean diplomatic corps in China donated 48, 400 RMB yuan to the quake-hit areas.
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