Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the international community to provide more help to Nepal and expedite aid delivery in the wake of a powerful earthquake that killed at least 3,200 people.[Special coverage]
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 6th joint meeting of the China-Italy intergovernmental committee, Wang said Nepal, one of the least developed countries, is in desperate need of international rescue and help.
"Time is life and we should cherish every minute and every second," Wang said. "I want to call on the international community to provide more and speed up their assistance to help the Nepalese people through hard times."
Chinese president Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang sent messages of condolences to Nepali leaders soon after the quake. China offered to provide Nepal 20 million yuan in emergency aid (about 3.4 million U.S. dollars), and the materials will soon be transported to the country by air.
A Chinese international rescue team arrived in Nepal Sunday morning and has found several quake survivors under the debris.
More search and rescue teams are on their way, including an international medical team from China. China's first round of emergency relief supplies has already arrived in Nepal.
