The Chinese government donated US$1.5 million of goods and cash to Afghan authorities on Monday to assist poverty-stricken refugees in this country.

Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Yang Houlan and Afghan Finance Minister Anwar Ul-Haq Ahady signed an agreement here to confirm the assistance.

The donation included US$1.3 million of goods and US$0.2 million in cash and it would cover infrastructure, education, health and human resource development.

Ambassador Yang said, "China has been a longtime supporter and an active participant in Afghanistan's reconstruction. The Chinese government and people will stand firmly with Afghan friends and provide whatever assistance in its capacity."

About 4 million Afghan refugees have returned home from abroad over the past five years after the Taliban regime's collapse, but many are still leading a hard life due to poverty and insecurity.

Millions of Afghans are still living in neighboring Pakistan and Iran as refugees nowadays.

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2007)