The reporters learned from the recently concluded military foreign-aid material procurement work conference that since 2004 the PLA has been carrying out foreign-aid material procurement work energetically yet prudently. So far, it has accumulatively fulfilled the procurement of several hundred million yuan worth of foreign-aid materials in 129 batches to over 70 countries and regions. What is particularly worth mentioning here is that the PLA had timely and efficiently fulfilled the material procurement for international humanistic emergency assistance on behalf of the Chinese government after the occurrence of natural disasters in the world such as the Indian Ocean tsunami, the earthquake in South Asia, the hurricane in the U.S., and the flood in the DPRK, which has won wide appreciation from the international community.

　　A leading official of the related department of the General Logistics Department of the PLA stressed when giving an interview to the reporters that the foreign-aid material procurement by the PLA is an indispensable and important link of the foreign-aid work of the Party and the state. Through several years of exploration and practice, the PLA has, in the main, established a foreign-aid material procurement contingent that can fight hard battles, a rapid-response foreign-aid material procurement mechanism, a reliable foreign-aid material procurement system as well as many stable foreign-aid material resources bases.

　　By Zhong Xianwen and Fan Juwei

　　(Feb 12, PLA Daily)