New York, 21 January 2010

(Photograph by Bai Jie/Xinhua News Agency)

Under-Secretary-General Holmes,

Thank you for convening this meeting and briefing us on the latest developments of the earthquake and international relief efforts in Haiti．

Since the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12,the international community has worked in solidarity to offer a helping hand to the Haitian people and government．The Chinese government highly commends the timely and effective assistance provided to Haiti by the United Nations, which has won the wide acclaim of the international community and laid a good foundation for the next phase of reconstruction efforts．

Mr. Under-Secretary-General,

Since January 13,the 60-member emergency rescue team sent by the Chinese government has fully engaged in disaster relief in Port-au-Prince．The team has carried out effective search and rescue operations at the headquarters of MINUSTAH,the Prime Minister's Palace and other places, with a number of bodies found, including those of Special Representative Mr. Hedi Annabi of MINUSTAH and other UN staffs. The medical teams of the Chinese rescue team are providing medical support for several hundred local people everyday. At this very moment, the Chinese rescue team is still working at the forefront of disaster relief in Haiti and doing its utmost to help more people affected by the earthquake.

As I briefed you at January 15's meeting, the Red Cross Society of China decided on January 13 to donate one million US dollars in cash to Haiti．On January 15,the Chinese government announced its decision to provide 30 million yuan (about 4.4 million US dollars) worth of humanitarian emergency supplies to Haiti．The first charter plane loaded with these supplies arrived in Haiti on January 17,bringing to the local people medicine, tents, portable emergency lights, water purification equipment, food, drinking water and clothes. The second plane, which was delayed due to limited capacity of the Haitian airport, will arrive on January 26．

Mr. Under-Secretary-General, to respond to your Flash Appeal, I am honored to announce that the Chinese government has decided to contribute an additional 2.6 million US dollars in cash to Haiti. The Chinese Government has also decided to send a 40-member medical care and epidemic prevention team to Haiti and provide additional medicine and medical equipment to the country.

We support the United Nations in playing an important coordinating role in disaster relief and reconstruction in Haiti. We hope that the Haitian people, with the help of the international community, will overcome the difficulties, rebuild their homes and achieve self-reliance at an early date．

Thank you, Mr. Under-Secretary-General．