A senior citizen in Hangzhou, China's Zhejiang Province, offered to donate 1 million yuan (US$120,000) yesterday for tsunami relief work in Indonesia. He will send it to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Jiang minde, in his 60s, is the chairman of a business firm in Zhejiang. He has followed relief and rescue efforts in those tsunami-hit countries.
He said, "I feel pain in my heart whenever I see the wretchedness of the tsunami-affected areas and the horrible looks of the children on television. I very much want to do something for them."
Jiang made contact with the government of Fuyang, where he lives, and the municipal government of Hangzhou to which Fuyang belongs, and subsequently consulted with the Asian Affairs Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry to explore how he could help the country hit by the earthquake and subsequent tidal waves.
He attached a note to the donated funds that said: "The only purpose in sending my money directly to President Yudhoyono is to tell him that China is a responsible nation; Premier Wen cares about the tsunami victims and that ordinary Chinese citizens, too, are turning their hearts to disaster-hit areas."
Qiu guanchao, a Chinese Indonesian and general manager of a food company in Hangzhou, said he was willing to be the "messenger" and deliver the money to the Indonesian president. He promised to "convey the friendship of the Chinese people to the people in the disaster afflicted areas in Indonesia."
Jiang has donated money regularly to areas flooded along the Yangtze River, as well as to poor college students. Over the years, these donations have totaled about 15 million yuan, he said. This donation, nevertheless, is the largest sum he has ever offered.
Meanwhile, China has sent about seven tons of Muslim food mixed in with other relief materials, according to Beijing Yueshengzhai Muslim Food Co, Ltd - one of the country's major Muslim Food producers.
Since many victims in the tsunami-hit areas are Muslim, the central government has paid special attention to providing Muslim food for the affected areas.
Beijing yueshengzhai Muslim Food is the only such company appointed by the government to provide Muslim food for tsunami-hit areas.