China will send more medical professionals to work in the tsunami-hit South and Southeast Asian countries according to their need in the future, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

What these countries now face are problems concerning public health, DNA identification and prevention of major epidemics rather than emergency medical services for the people who have been seriously injured, said spokesman Kong Quan at a regular press conference.

Of the 164 Chinese medical professionals chosen for services in the tsunami-stricken countries, 41 are working in related countries and the rest 123 are waiting for order for departure at any time, he said.

According to him, the members of the Chinese medical teams have begun working in some tsunami-hit countries. On Dec. 30 last year, a 15-member team left Shanghai for Phuket, Thailand. The second team of 12 dispatched by Guangdong Province on Dec. 31 is now also in Phuket. On Jan. 2, a 14-member medical team set off from Beijing for Sri Lanka.

The spokesman also gave a detail account of China's aid to these countries since the high tidal waves swept these countries.

On Dec. 29 last year, China announced it would donate 21.63 million yuan (US$2.6 million) to the disaster-hit countries. On the afternoon of Dec. 31, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met with diplomatic envoys from these countries and representatives of some international organizations in Beijing, and said the Chinese government had decided to offer another 500 million yuan (US$60.5 million) worth of emergency aid.

Airlifting of the relief goods is underway.

Social organizations and the general public across China have also showed great concern to the people of the disaster-hit countries. By 2 p.m. Thursday, the Red Cross Society of China had received real and promised donation totaling 45 million yuan (US$5.4 million), of which 5.48 million yuan worth of cash and materials had been sent to Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Myanmar, Maldives and Malaysia, Kong said.

The rest of the donation will be sent to these countries as soon as possible according to their need, he added.

The China Charity Federation, another organization authorized to receive public donation, has received 30.09 million yuan (US$3.6 million) of donation, and part of it has been sent to the disaster-hit areas.

(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2005)