China provides emergency humanitarian assistance to quake-hit Syria

BEIJING - China will provide emergency humanitarian aid worth 30 million yuan ($4.42 million) to Syria, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The aid includes assistance of $2 million and relief materials urgently needed in the quake-hit country, spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing.

Meanwhile China is speeding up the implementation of an ongoing food aid program, she said.

In the ongoing food aid project, 220 tons of wheat are on their way to Syria, and the remaining 3,000 tons of rice and wheat will be shipped in two batches in the near future, according to China International Development Cooperation Agency.

Relevant Chinese authorities will work with the Syrian side to ensure that the above assistance is implemented as soon as possible, so as to help the Syrian side with earthquake relief and rescue work, Mao added.