Beijing: Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday visited the Japanese embassy here to extend condolences for the victims of last Friday's earthquake and tsunami, the official media reported.
Hu told Japanese Ambassador Niwa Unichiro that, on
behalf of the Chinese government and people, he extended his
sincere sympathies to the Japanese people as well as
condolences to the victims of the earthquake.
"As China and Japan are neighbouring countries
separated by a narrow strip of water, the Chinese people
deeply felt the pain that the Japanese people are suffering,"
Hu said.
Last week the magnitude-9 quake and massive tsunami
rocked Japan leaving over 16,000 people dead or unaccounted
for.
China is helping in the quake relief work, and will
continue to provide necessary assistance to Japan, he told the
ambassador."We believe that the Japanese people will certainly
overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homeland."
Niwa said the Japanese government and people sincerely
thanked the Chinese government and people for the relief
assistances, including sending a 15-member rescue team and
providing various relief materials.
China delivered 10 tonnes of bottled drinking water to
Japan's earthquake-hit areas on Thursday.
The water, packaged in 800 boxes, was air-lifted from
China's northeastern city of Changchun, Jilin Province, to
Niigata in northeastern Japan yesterday to be distributed in
tsunami hit areas.
China sent a 15-member rescue team to Japan, besides
providing 30 million yuan (USD 4.5 million) worth of emergency
humanitarian assistance.
The first relief package -- 2,000 blankets, 900 cotton
tents and 200 emergency lights -- was delivered early this
week.
On Wednesday, Beijing boosted aid to Japan by pledging
20,000 tonnes of fuel -- 10,000 tonnes of gasoline and 10,000
tonnes of diesel.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 18, 2011, 22:58