Chinese Foreign Minister Friday explained the ministry's relief work for the countries hit by the massive earthquake and tsunamis in the Indian Ocean Sunday to foreign diplomats at a New Year's Eve reception Friday evening.

Li Zhaoxing suggested paying silent tribute to the people in South and Southeast Asia as a tremendous loss of life and property damage was incurred.
 
"The Chinese people would like to share the suffering and grief of the affected nations," Li said. "The staff of the foreign ministry are deeply concerned about the increasing death toll and damage."

According to Li, the foreign ministry's staff and its affiliated institutions have so far voluntarily donated 410,000 yuan (US$49,636). The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries also donated 40,000 US dollars.

The staff of the Chinese embassy in Indonesia donated 12,000 US dollars, he said, noting the Chinese companies there donated both goods and cash worth one million US dollars.

"All these donations will be passed on to the governments of the afflicted countries," Li said.

The foreign ministry and the Chinese embassies in the tsunami-hit countries are trying their utmost to help Chinese nationals there, the minister said.

"Besides hotlines, some Chinese embassies have set up contact desks at airports and workshops on the beaches of the tsunami-hit areas to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals," Li said.

He thanked the foreign diplomats for their work in promoting friendly relations between China and the rest of the world, saying "I hope we step up cooperation in the coming year and bring more hope to people who aspire to peace and development."

In his toast, Eleih-Ele Etian, ambassador of Cameroon and dean of the diplomatic corps in Beijing, wished the Chinese people a happy new year and said he hoped they made even more remarkable progress in building their country.

(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2005)