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Japan says may send military aircraft to quake-hit China Tokyo (AFP) May 28, 2008 Japan is considering sending its first military air mission to China since the end of World War II to transport aid for victims of this month's devastating earthquake, Japanese officials said Wednesday. China has asked Japan's Self-Defence Forces to fly over aid for some of the millions of people left homeless after the devastating quake, said Japan's top government spokesman, Nobutaka Machimura. "The Japanese government is currently studying the possibility of doing so," Machimura, the chief cabinet secretary, told a press conference. He said China's exact requirements were unclear but Beijing appeared to be asking for tents and blankets to be flown over by Japan's military. "They do not seem to be requesting Japanese transportation inside of China," he said. Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said the final decision would be made by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who was attending a development conference with dozens of African leaders in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo. "As we hope to offer as much help as possible, if there's a specific request we want to respond to it if possible," said Komura, who was at the same summit. A Self-Defence Forces spokeswoman confirmed that the military was considering supplying and flying aid such as tents to China. "We are in close contact with the foreign ministry to consider the request," she said, adding that it would be the first military air mission to China since the end of World War II. The leaders of Japan and China have been working to repair ties between the Asian powers, which have been scarred for decades by Japan's brutal wartime invasion of China. Japan, which has been officially pacifist since the end of World War II, said earlier this month it had told China it was ready to provide as much relief as possible to the quake victims. Japan has pledged 4.8 million dollars in emergency assistance to victims and has also sent rescue and medical workers to the quake zone. The May 12 earthquake devastated southwest Sichuan province and left more than 88,000 people dead or missing, while 15 million others have been displaced. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Share This Article With Planet Earth
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US warships with aid for Myanmar could depart soon: admiral Washington (AFP) May 28, 2008 US warships carrying relief supplies could leave the waters off Myanmar within days unless its military government relents and accepts greater US assistance, the top US commander in the region said Wednesday. |
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