Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu (center) delivers the first batch of disaster relief supplies provided by China at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Monday. Photo: Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan

Two shipments of earthquake relief supplies donated by the Chinese government including tents, folding beds and blankets have arrived in Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian confirmed on Tuesday. 

Observers said China can share experiences with Afghanistan in raising the capacity for emergency rescue and relief, and the region can also consider building multilateral or bilateral mechanism to deal with the possible emergencies over the long term. 

China will continue to monitor the disaster and post-disaster reconstruction in Afghanistan, and is willing to provide more support based on the needs of Afghan people, Zhao said on Tuesday’s press briefing. 

Two PLA Y-20 cargo planes arrived at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan on Tuesday morning, carrying with them disaster relief supplies provided by China including tents, towel blankets, folding beds and other items, urgently needed by the Afghan people after a deadly earthquake, China Central Television reported on Tuesday. 

The previous day, the first shipment of disaster relief supplies provided by China arrived at Kabul airport, after which six more Chinese cargo planes will deliver disaster relief supplies over the following three days, according to the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan on Tuesday. 

On Tuesday, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong and Director-General of the Third Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Afghan Interim Government co-chaired the second meeting of the China-Afghanistan liaison mechanisms at the working levels for humanitarian assistance and economic reconstruction via video link.

Liu once again expressed his sincere condolences on behalf of China for the serious earthquake and floods in Afghanistan, saying that China and Afghanistan are good neighbors, good friends and good brothers who are looking out for each other. 

After the earthquake in Afghanistan, China provided a lot of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, doing its best, urgently, quickly and efficiently, Liu said. 

“I believe that after the test of this disaster and following relief, China-Afghanistan friendship will be further consolidated and sublimated,” he said.

Liu said that China is willing to further work with Afghanistan to implement the consensus reached at the high-level meeting between the two countries, to help Afghanistan to cope with natural disasters and humanitarian hardships, and to support Afghanistan to enhance disaster prevention and mitigation and economic self-reliance in long term.

Director-General of the Third Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Afghan Interim Government thanked China for its condolences and timely provision of a large amount of humanitarian aid. 

The call between Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Acting Foreign Minister of the Afghan Interim Government Amir Khan Muttaqi on Monday was very constructive, and strengthened the confidence of the people in the affected areas, the Afghan official said. 

Afghanistan attaches importance to the development of relations with China and always regards China as a good friend, neighbor and partner, and will continue to firmly support the one-China principle and learn from China's successful development experience, he said.

The Chinese government decided to provide 50 million yuan ($7.5 million) in emergency humanitarian assistance to the disaster areas after the earthquake, which has killed more than 1,000 people, injured nearly 2,000 with tens of thousands of homes destroyed, Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu said during an event marking the delivery of supplies on Monday.

The first shipment of supplies, including 120 tents, 320 folding beds and more than 6,000 blankets, arrived in Afghanistan on Monday.

In addition, 8,000 tons of food promised earlier by China have arrived in Afghanistan and is being distributed, according to the ambassador.

China can share experience with Afghanistan in capacity building for emergency response, such as disaster prevention, forecasting and early warning, and also aid or cooperate in the establishment of emergency rescue team and related mechanism, Zhu Yongbiao, executive director of Research Center for the Belt and Road and director of Center for Afghanistan Studies, Lanzhou University, told the Global Time on Tuesday.
 
Over the long term, the region can consider building a multilateral or bilateral mechanism to deal with the emergency situation, especially in the regions where have seen more natural disasters caused by extreme climate, according to Zhu.

In terms of economic reconstruction, China has experience in poverty alleviation, Zhu said, noting that China has making efforts during recent years in economic cooperation, for instance, China imported pine nuts from Afghanistan, as a way to encourage Afghan people to plant more high-value plants.

Chinese enterprises in Afghanistan have also taken action, and relief supplies are on their way to the disaster-hit areas, Wang Yi said on Monday. China is ready to provide more timely assistance according to the needs of Afghanistan. China believes that Afghanistan will stay united to overcome the disaster and rebuild homes at an early date, Wang said.

Muttaqi sincerely thanked China for its condolences and assistance to Afghanistan in the wake of the disaster, saying that China's assistance fully reflects the traditional friendship between the two countries and has greatly benefited the earthquake-affected people.