Chinese embassy in Cambodia, on behalf of Chinese government, Wednesday handed over 50,000 US dollars emergency aid to Cambodian government to help it prevent the spread of bird flu.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Hu Qianwen delivered the aid to Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong at the hand-over ceremony held at the Foreign Ministry.

Hor thanked Chinese government for its timely assistance. He said that the aid from China would be sure to play important role in helping Cambodia to fight the spread of bird flu.

"Thanks to the preventing measures taken by the royal government, the bird flu cases are controlled and not very serious," Hor said.

As three bird flu cases have been found in Cambodia, the country is one of 10 Asian economies that were hit by the virus. The bird flu has killed at least 20 people and prompted the culling of more than 40 million chicken in Vietnam and Thailand.

No people were confirmed so far to die of bird flu in Cambodia, but a 24-year-old woman from Takeo who died Thursday became the first suspect infected with avian influenza.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2004)