China vows more assistance

China will, according to Tonga's request, provide assistance of drinking water, food and personal protective and disaster-relief equipment to the Pacific island country, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday.

The supplies will be shipped as soon as possible after local airports resume operation and when the weather allows such flights, Zhao told a daily news conference.

By now, his ministry has received no tsunami casualty reports of Chinese citizens in Tonga, he said.

The ministry and the Chinese embassy in Tonga will continue to follow the situation of the Chinese citizens there, and provide timely consular protection and assistance to them, he said, calling for the Chinese citizens in Tonga and nearby countries to pay close attention to alerts issued by those countries.