Chinese military to send relief supplies to Tonga

BEIJING -- Chinese military will deliver emergency supplies to Tonga for disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction, a Chinese military spokesperson said Wednesday.

Upon the request of Tonga, the Chinese military will dispatch air force transport aircraft and naval vessels to deliver disaster relief materials to the South Pacific island country despite adverse conditions such as volcanic ash, said Wu Qian, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense.

The relief materials, which include food, drinking water, water purifiers, tents, prefab houses, tractors and radio communication equipment, will be transported to Tonga in two batches on Jan 27 and Jan 31, respectively.

China will continue to do its best to provide assistance in various forms based on the needs of Tonga, Wu said.

Tonga was hit by disasters resulting from a massive volcano eruption earlier this month and its ensuing tsunami.