国内英语新闻:China donates technical, medical equipment to Serbia

BELGRADE, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Serbian defense ministries Wednesday signed a protocol by which China agreed to donate technical and medical equipment worth 355,000 euros (about 479,250 U.S. dollars) as a way of assistance after heavy floods hit the country mid-May.

The protocol for the donation was signed by the representative of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, Senior Colonel Wang Haibin, and chief of the Serbian Military Medicine Department Brigadier General Zoran Popovic.

The signing ceremony was attended by Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic and new Chinese ambassador to Serbia Li Manchang.

After the signing, Li said that the "Chinese people always stood together with the Serbian people."

"After the heavy floods that caused great damage to Serbia, the donation of the Chinese people shows friendship and support towards the Serbian people," he added.

Gasic said that the donation to the Serbian Armed Forces and the Defense Ministry was significant as the army spent much of its resources trying to provide medical assistance to people across Serbia affected by the floods.

"This is yet another in a series of donations coming from China directed to the Serbian Armed Forces. Last year, we received significant assistance in specialized ambulance vehicles worth 2 million U.S. dollars in total," Gasic recalled.

According to the Serbian Defense Ministry, China also made three donations in IT equipment worth 1.5 million euros since 2005. (1 euro = 1.35 U.S. dollars)