Havana, August 15 (RHC) -- The Cuban National Red Cross Society thanked the Red Cross Society of China for donating 150,000 US dollars. The money will contribute to face the consequences of the large-scale fire that occurred on August 5 at the Supertanker Base in the industrial zone of Matanzas.

During the hand-over ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Ma Hui, ambassador of the People's Republic of China, acknowledged the heroism of the people, the Party, and the government of the Caribbean country.

He highlighted the many institutions and specialized forces from all over the national territory, together with the solidarity of Mexico and Venezuela that  remained active in mitigating the flames during seven days of intense work.

The ambassador said that Cuba and China are partners and brothers who are in solidarity in joys and in adversities such as the one in Matanzas, which caused human and material losses and difficulties in supplying electric energy to the National Electric System.

On behalf of the more than 47 thousand volunteers who currently make up that humanitarian organization in Cuba, Susana Loved  Alcalde, deputy director of the island’s  Red Cross, expressed gratitude for the gesture from the Chinese counterpart.

She stressed that it always accompanies Cuba in facing weather disasters with the donation of tents and protective equipment for service personnel.

She added that this Chinese collective maintained its cooperation with Cuba amid the COVID-19 pandemic by supplying medicines, intensive care beds, and pulmonary ventilators to support the Cuban health system