Two Chinese military aircraft have arrived in Kabul to deliver humanitarian aid to earthquake-hit Afghanistan, highlighting strategic trust between the two countries.
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Early on Sunday, two People’s Liberation Army Air Force Y-20 heavy-lift transporters touched down with the first batch of earthquake relief cargo promised by Beijing after a devastating tremor struck eastern Afghanistan last weekend, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The supplies are mainly tents and blankets and more aid will be flown into the Afghan capital in the coming days.
A series of powerful earthquakes have struck Afghanistan since last Sunday. The initial 6.0-magnitude quake was followed by tremors measuring 5.5 on Tuesday and 5.1 on Friday.
“The disasters have resulted in 2,205 fatalities and 3,640 injuries as of September 4, with widespread damage to infrastructure and homes,” the Afghan Red Crescent Society said.
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The China International Development Cooperation Agency, Beijing’s foreign aid arm, said on Thursday that the Chinese government had earmarked 50 million yuan (US$7 million) in emergency aid for Afghanistan at Kabul’s request.
