China has donated about US$1.1 million worth of stationery items to the Afghan transitional government for facilitating its administrative work.

Documents on the donation were signed in Kabul at the presidential palace on Monday between the governments, represented by Chief of the Afghan Administrative Office Yousof Aitebar and Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Sun Yuxi.

Speaking at the singing ceremony, Aitebar expressed his thanks to China, saying that China has provided assistance to Afghanistansince the very beginning of the new government.

"Today we are happy to receive one of the most important necessities of the government, the assistance is on time and it could let us save money from our normal budget for the ongoing reconstruction efforts," the official said.

Ambassador Sun said on the occasion that the Chinese government and people have been concerned about the hardship of the Afghan people who had suffered over 20 years of war.

"China and Afghanistan are very good neighbors, and our peoples have a long-term friendship that could trace back in the history for thousands of years," said Sun.

He added that the Chinese government has pledged a US$150 million of aid package since the establishment of the Afghan transitional government, including the rehabilitation of a hospital and an irrigation project and the reconstruction of a new school.

The 19 containers of stationery, including a total of 78 items notebooks, pens, bottled ink and print paper, will be soon distributed to government administrative offices at different levels across the country, Afghan officials said.

It was the largest donation of such kind Afghanistan has received since the establishment of the transitional government, they said.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2003)