Taiwan to donate rice to RI

Taiwan to donate rice to RI

TAIPEI : Taiwan said on Tuesday that it will donate 50,000 tons of rice to poverty-stricken people in Indonesia.

"We will send the rice to Indonesia in five shipments. The first shipment - 10,000 tons - will be sent in early May," a Department of Health official, Wang Chang-ying, said.

The 50,000 tons of rice will be distributed to poor people on the islands of Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

"We hope our donation can help ease Indonesia's food shortage and strengthen the friendship between out two countries," Wang said.

Taiwan said it will donate 100,000 tons of surplus rice to foreign countries each year. Early this month, Taiwan donated 50,000 tons of rice to Iraqi refugees in Jordan. --DPA