2nd Ld Writethru: China offers 483 mln USD worth of aid package for Nepal

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Thursday that China will offer 3 billion yuan (483 million U.S. dollars) in aid for Nepal's reconstruction after a massive earthquake jolted the Himalayan country on April 25.

Wang told the Chinese media based here that a comprehensive Chinese aid plan for Nepal covers five areas, namely unconditional financial donations, loans for reconstruction projects, encouragement for Chinese enterprises and non-governmental groups to participate in Nepal's economic reconstruction, helping train professional and skilled personnel and helping restore cultural heritage damaged by the quake.

"We would like to tell Nepal and the international community that China will continue to stand with Nepal in its post disaster reconstruction," said the foreign minister.

Wang earlier announced the aid package at the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction held here.

Describing Nepal as a country with very close ties with China and an privileged partner in bilateral and international affairs, the foreign minister also said that the local governments of China will also play a role in Nepal's reconstruction through province- to-province and city-to-city channels, while more efforts would be made to help Nepal build its own disaster coping and rehabilitation capabilities.

Wang said he believed the Nepalese government and the international community would welcome China's efforts to help Nepal through the aid plan.

He also said that infrastructure would be one of the focuses for China to invest in the rehabilitation and reconstruction projects of the country, while improving people's livelihood would remain the priority for such aid programs.

"We hope to play an important, active role in Nepal's reconstruction through this involvement. We would like to see Nepal rise again like a phoenix," he added. Endi