Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday announced a package for post-flood reconstruction in Pakistan, including a US$10 million grant for flood victim compensation and a US$400 million concession loan.

Speaking at the National Disaster Management Authority in Islamabad, Wen said China would continue to help Pakistan in the post-disaster phase of the floods and would provide resources and technical support for disaster prevention and forecasting technology.

China has the expertise in dealing with situations such as the landslide-triggered Attabad lake and would send its experts to address the perils arising from the lake along the Karakoram Highway, Wen said.

The premier said the provision of disaster control and forecasting technology would help Pakistan in better handling such situations in the future.

Wen said the reconstruction plan will also cover the repairing of damaged infrastructure, roads and the rehabilitation of the flooded people in Pakistan.

Nadeem Ahmed, the NDMA Chairman, briefed the Chinese premier and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the floods that struck the country this summer.

China sent three rescue teams to Pakistan and pledged a 200-million-U.S.-dollar assistance for the flood-affected people. Gilani thanked the Chinese government and people in helping Pakistan in the critical hour.

(chinadaily.com.cn December 19, 2010)