China announced on Tuesday that it will provide 30 million yuan (about 4.4 million US dollars) in humanitarian relief materials to Pakistan to help civilians displaced by fighting between the government and the Taliban.

"The first batch will be airlifted to Pakistan on Wednesday which include water purification equipment, power generator and medicine," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told a regular press briefing.

"China hopes the aid will help the Pakistani government maintain social stability," Ma added.

China has already gave one million U.S. dollars cash in emergency humanitarian aid to Pakistan.

"The aid is a reflection of the friendship that the Chinese people hold for the Pakistani people," Ma said, noting that, as a friendly neighbor, China pays close attention to the domestic situation in Pakistan and understands the difficulties that the country is facing in settling refugees.

More than 1.6 million people have fled from the Swat Valley in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province where government forces have been battling armed Islamic militants for weeks.

In addition, about 215,017 internally displaced persons have been staying at 17 relief camps, said a Pakistani official report. More than 1.4 million affected people were registered outside the camps.

(Xinhua News Agency May 26, 2009)