China "lost no time" in delivering aid to flood-hit Pakistan

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:32 August 24 2010]
• Comments

China "lost no time" in delivering badly needed relief items to flood-hit Pakistan, Pakistani ambassador to China Masood Khan said Monday.

"China was one the first countries to respond to the relief needs of Pakistan when it was hit by the worst floods in 81 years. China moved with speed," said Khan in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

China increased its aid from 1.5 million US dollars to 10 million US dollars, including tents, sludge cleaning and water purifying equipment, generators, blankets, food, bottled water, and medicines to the neighboring south Asian state.

The Pakistani embassy to China has received messages of solidarity and sympathy from Chinese from all walks of life -- students, doctors, engineers, corporate executives, media persons, academics, artists, and farmers, Khan said.

One company in Chengdu donated 1,000 tons of rice. A dean of the prestigious Tsinghua University donated a month's salary for relief. Professionals of a company who had worked in Pakistan collected funds for the victims.

The embassy had opened an account with the Bank of China for the "Pakistan Prime Minister's Relief Fund" and the smallest donation was 10 yuan, while the largest was 800,000 yuan (117,666 US dollars).

"This, I would say, is the China spirit - the spirit of Pakistan-China friendship," said Khan.

"It is not fair for any country or any person to make oblique references to China's relief assistance to Pakistan or to urge China to do more," he said.

"China and Pakistan have the strongest of relations and we can get in touch with each other in an instant. No intercession is needed," he said.

"Besides, it is like pushing at an open door." Khan said Pakistan was briefing the Chinese government on the floods situation at all levels, and "China keeps responding."

He said his country had requested provision of equipment (prefabricated) bridges and China was preparing a fresh consignment for northern part of Pakistan.

China had helped the Pakistanis navigate some of the most daunting strategic challenges, he said, naming the 2005 earthquake.

The ambassador labelled post-floods phase in Pakistan "most important for China's involvement," as floods had swept away roads, bridges, crops, houses, livestock, and communication systems.

"China knows Pakistan's economic, agricultural and infrastructure landscape. We would need China's industrial, agricultural and corporate expertise in the next phases of early recovery and rehabilitation, and especially during reconstruction," said the ambassador.

Pakistan needed China's agricultural support to recover and re-till land. It needed most Chinese corporations in the reconstruction of roads, bridges and power plants, he said.