China's relief aid to Pakistan has amounted to 20.5 million US dollars since the Oct. 8 earthquake struck the south Asian country, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Chunxiang said in Islamabad on Saturday.

Zhang made the remarks at a signing ceremony with Ejaz Rahim, Pakistan's cabinet secretary, to hand over a new batch of 150,000 blankets and 3,380 tents worth 50 million yuan (about 6.2 million US dollars), as part of China's new pledge of further relief aid.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Oct. 27 promised that China would provide Pakistan with further relief aid worth 13.8 US million dollars after a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Shaukat Aziz in Moscow, according to Zhang.

The ambassador said China had donated 500,000 US dollars to Pakistan at the United Nations donors conference in Geneva.

The above-mentioned amount plus the 6.2-million-dollar aid which China had donated in the first week after the devastating earthquake, has made China's relief aid to Pakistan a total of 20.5 million dollars up to now, Zhang said, adding that the total excludes the aid provided by the Chinese military and the red cross society.

Upon the request of the Pakistani side, Zhang said, China will provide further relief assistance. Besides the blankets and tents badly needed in the earthquake-affected areas, China has sent a second dispatch of rescue workers, mainly surgeons and nurses to set up field hospitals in those areas.

The ambassador announced that a Chinese governmental delegation will visit Pakistan from Nov. 1 to 4 to hold talks with the Pakistani side on reconstruction and rehabilitation following the earthquake.

"Because the governments and the peoples of China and Pakistan have been enjoying a fraternal friendship tried through difficulties, the Chinese side made prompt decision to provide relief aid at the earliest time immediately after the Oct. 8 earthquake," said Zhang. "This shows the deep feelings and emotions of the Chinese for the Pakistanis."

On behalf of the Pakistani government and people, Ejaz Rahim extended gratitude to the Chinese government and people for the humanitarian assistance and the gesture of goodwill to Pakistan since the earthquake.

"We cannot forget that China is amongst the first countries to leap to the assistance of the people of Pakistan and it has done it every time when Pakistan is in need," said Rahim. "We cannot forget the tremendous work the Chinese rescue team has done in Balakot, the most affected area, in those very difficult conditions and we cannot forget China's contribution to the Pakistani President Relief Fund."

He expressed belief that the second team of the Chinese rescue workers would help those in need, especially women and children, and respond to their medical, social and psychological needs. 

China's rescue team to Pakistan attracts high attention

The arrival of the second team of the China International Search and Rescue (CISAR) has attracted high attention and received great support from the local community in Balakot, the team's leader Zhao Heping told Xinhua in Beijing Sunday.

At the site for the CISAR's locomotive hospital, quite a number of local residents came early in the morning, helping the team build the medical tents. Among them were some people still with slight injuries in arms or legs by the Oct. 8 earthquake.

Medical staff of international rescue teams or local hospitals visited the Chinese locomotive hospital, saying the team brought with them the most advanced equipment and facilities.

The women medical staff with the team right met with the urgent need, as the Pakistani women never went to see a man doctor due to local customs, said a local medical staff.

Lieutenant colonel Saeed, the chief officer of the disaster-relief headquarters in Balakot, was invited to take a laboratory test with ultrasonic and ECG devices." Such devices are the first of its type since the disaster hit the region," Saeed said.

GEO TV station, one of the major mainstream TV stations in Pakistan, also covered the news about the CISAR and its locomotive hospital.

In an interview with GEO, Zhao Heping said the Chinese government dispatched the second team of CISAR shortly after the return of the first team, at the request of the World Health Organization and in accordance with the Pakistani real situation. The government also provided the team with the best equipment and facilities.

"The Chinese government attached much concern over the disaster-hit Pakistani people, and will always give them help as much as possible," Zhao said.

Huang Jianfa, deputy director of the team, told Xinhua that the team has received heart-felt welcome and support from local military troops and people.

Apart from full-page stories by local media, the association of animal protection in Pakistan also made an offer of donkeys and mules for the team so that the medical staff could go deeper into the mountainous areas and help residents therein.

The military troops in Balakot said they will give wide-ranging publicity of the Chinese hospital to the local residents, and offer military vehicles for the team.

By press time, the CISAR's locomotive hospital had received 54 patients, and a small team of three doctors also had given medical treatment to 14 patients in villages nearby.