CRI听力: Chinese Aid en route to Haiti

China sent a cargo plane, carrying almost half of its promised 4-million U.S. dollars in aid, including 90 tons of medicine, food and tents, to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

Meanwhile, Chinese officials have promised to deliver further humanitarian assistance for the relief and reconstruction of Haiti.

Zhang Ru has the details.

This is the first batch of an aid package worth 30 million yuan, or over 4 million U.S. dollars, just announced by the Chinese government for quake relief in Haiti.

China's military has prepared all the emergency relief materials and loaded them onto the cargo plane.
Senior Colonel Geng Yansheng from China's defense ministry says the military has moved swiftly to prepare the relief materials.

"At 10 a.m. yesterday, the military received the order to provide emergency humanitarian aid to Haiti.
Normally, it takes 48 to 72 hours to deliver the first batch of relief materials. But we have responded to the order with the fastest pace. We mobilized materials quickly from Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese cities. We have done the job in just 24 hours."

Chinese aid officials have been coordinating with the Haitian government and the UN mission in Haiti to ensure smooth distribution of the relief materials.

Yu Yingfu is vice director of the Department of Aid to Foreign Countries under China's Ministry of Commerce.

"The Chinese government stands with the Haitian people and is committed to helping them conquer the disaster. In the future, we will continue to deliver assistance to Haiti to the best of our ability according to the developments of the disaster."(www.hxen.net)

At present, a 60-strong Chinese rescue and relief team is racing against time to find quake survivors and carry out medical relief and pandemic prevention in the quake-hit areas of Haiti.

Meanwhile, the Chinese public has begun donating for the quake victims in the Caribbean country. The Red Cross Society of China says individuals and organizations can give through banks and post offices or via its website and text messages.

Zhang Ru, CRI news.