Chinese military planes deliver emergency supplies to tsunami-hit Tonga
- Two aircraft arrived in the Pacific nation on Thursday morning, according to foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian
- Naval ships are also sending aid and the Red Cross Society of China has provided US$100,000 in emergency cash assistance
China has also sent naval vessels with supplies for disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction, according to an earlier briefing by defence spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian.
He said the supplies being delivered included food, drinking water, water purifiers, tents, prefab houses, tractors and radio communication equipment.
The Red Cross Society of China has also provided US$100,000 in emergency cash assistance to the Tongan government, according to foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.
Aid shipments are arriving in Tonga from a number of countries following the disaster, including the United States, Australia, New Zealand, France, Japan and Britain.
The undersea volcano eruption and tsunami on January 15 destroyed villages and resorts and crippled communications, with at least three people known to have died.
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone to his Tongan counterpart, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Wang told Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu that China was among the first countries to send aid to Tonga and more was on the way, the report said.
“As a good friend and partner of Tonga, China is willing to stand firmly with the Tongan people at this difficult moment,” Wang was quoted as saying.
He said Beijing was concerned about Chinese citizens and institutions in Tonga, and that he hoped and believed the Tongan government would guarantee their safety.
