The Chinese government has granted an emergency aid of 100,000 US dollars to Vietnam to help the country deal with bird flu, which has appeared in 57 out of its 64localities.

"Chinese people always follow the outbreak of bird flu in Vietnam, and consider it their own difficulties. The government of China has decided to offer Vietnam a non-refundable aid of 100,000dollars," Qi Jianguo, Chinese ambassador to Vietnam said at a granting ceremony held on Tuesday.

The ambassador firmly believed that Vietnam will eliminate flu soon, bring residents' life and production activities back to normal. He also said that a Chinese delegation led by a deputy minister of health will arrive in Vietnam next month.

Nguyen Phu Binh, Vietnamese deputy minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highly appreciated the timely assistance of the Chinese government and people.

He said that a number of institutes and companies of China have assisted or pledged to support Vietnam in terms of equipment and medicines.

The agriculture ministries of China and Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in many fields, including veterinarian cooperation on Monday. Accordingly, the ministries will jointly work out measures to treat animal diseases, tighten management of veterinarian hygiene, and prevent the outbreak and spread of diseases in bordering areas.

Bird flu has hit 60 percent of Vietnam's total districts and towns, killing 30 million fowls, or nearly 12 percent of its poultry population, Binh said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2004)