China decided Tuesday to offer another 10 million yuan (about US$1.21 million) worth of relief supplies to Iran following last week's powerful earthquake, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said in Beijing. 

Li made the remark while meeting with Iran's Ambassador to China Fereydoun Verdinejad.

Chinese leaders, including President Hu Jintao, top Legislator Wu Bangguo and Premier Wen Jiabao and the Chinese government were very much concerned about Iran's earthquake damage, Li said.

According to the foreign minister, Hu expressed his sympathy to Iranian President Mohammad Khatami after he heard of the earthquake in Bam, a city in southeast Iran.

The Chinese government immediately decided to offer emergency aid of five million yuan (about US$0.6 million) worth of relief goods, and sent a 43-member rescue team on Saturday, Li said.

China's Red Cross Society had also provided Iran's Red Crescent Society with US$100,000 for rescue efforts, the minister said.

China was one of the first countries to offer aid, which indicated the sincere friendship between the two peoples, Verdinejad said.

On behalf of the Iranian government and people, the ambassador thanked the Chinese government and people for their sympathy and generous assistance.

Li said the Chinese people were concerned about the Bam earthquake.

Since hearing of the quake, many Chinese enterprises and individuals had donated money or relief materials.

As the quake damage increased, China decided to add to its aid offer, and would like to contribute more to reconstruction, Li said.

Li said he believes that the Iranian government and people will unite as one, overcome all the difficulties and succeed in the rescue and damage relief work.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2003)