Mao Ning

In response to a question about China's disaster relief assistance following the earthquake in Vanuatu, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on Thursday that after the earthquake, China immediately extended emergency humanitarian assistance to Vanuatu. 

To better support Vanuatu's disaster relief work, a chartered plane sent by the Chinese government carrying emergency disaster relief supplies arrived in Vanuatu's capital city Port Vila on Thursday, Mao said. 

This shipment, weighing approximately 35 tonnes and 235 cubic meters in volume, includes tents, folding beds, water purification equipment, solar lights, emergency food provisions, medical supplies and so on. Chinese post-disaster assessment engineers have been carrying out intensive work in Vanuatu, providing support to the local government and people of Vanuatu in their efforts to respond to the disaster, Mao said. China and Vanuatu are good friends, good partners and good brothers that support each other in overcoming difficulties. China will continue to do what we can to help with the relief and reconstruction effort in light of the damage and the need of Vanuatu. We believe the people of Vanuatu will overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homes soon, Mao added. 

"We deeply understand that the recent earthquake has caused significant damage," said Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Li Minggang at the handover ceremony on Thursday as the emergency relief supplies from the Chinese government arrived in Port Vila, adding that China will always stand together with Vanuatu to assist the country, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Also attending the event, Vanuatu's caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai expressed the country's appreciation for China's assistance, and said it will support Vanuatu's recovery process going forward.

Previously, four experts from the Institute of Engineering Mechanics at the China Earthquake Administration (CEA) arrived in Port Vila on Monday. Their mission is to conduct post-earthquake assessments following the earthquake. This effort comes at the request of the Vanuatu government and is part of a coordinated deployment by the CEA and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the institute's official WeChat account.

On Tuesday, the CEA team held a working meeting with Vanuatu's Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities. During the meeting, they shared China's expertise in post-earthquake rescue and structural assessments, reviewed the overall earthquake damage in Vanuatu, and finalized plans for the next phase of work. The team also inspected and assessed the structural and non-structural damage to several government buildings.

The expert team will stay in Vanuatu for eight days to assist the Vanuatu government and Chinese-funded enterprises in the country in conducting safety assessments of damaged buildings and bridges, as well as carrying out scientific investigation of earthquake damage in the disaster-affected areas, according to the Institute of Engineering Mechanics at the CEA.

Mao previously said that this was the first time China has urgently dispatched a disaster assessment team of experts to a Pacific island country. 

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Port Vila on December 17, killing at least 14 people, injuring more than 200 and severely damaging the city's infrastructure, according to Xinhua. 

Global Times