China ready to assist Nepal in post-disaster reconstruction: spokesman

China stands ready to assist Nepal in post-disaster reconstruction to the best of our capability based on its needs, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Thursday.

At a press briefing in Beijing, Guo elaborated on China's assistance to Nepal after the deadly mudslide happened on Aug 26.

"After the sudden mudslide struck the China-Nepal border areas, while urgently carrying out rescue and relief efforts at home, China immediately reached out to Nepal to support its emergency response and disaster relief. China and Nepal are traditional friends and close neighbors. We stand ready to assist Nepal in post-disaster reconstruction to the best of our capability based on its needs. We believe the Nepali people will overcome difficulties and rebuild their homes soon under the leadership of their government," said Guo.

The catastrophic flash flood and mudslide triggered by a glacial collapse on the Nepalese side struck the remote China-Nepal border region on Aug 26 morning. The death toll from the devastating disaster in Nepal had reached 1,374 as of 20:00 local time on Wednesday, according to the latest figures released by the Nepalese police.

China ready to assist Nepal in post-disaster reconstruction: spokesman

The core surface facilities of Uganda's Kingfisher Oilfield, a key China-Africa energy cooperation project, passed mechanical completion acceptance on Wednesday, marking the completion of Uganda's first commercial oilfield, according to contractor China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

The oilfield is located in the Albert Basin in western Uganda and holds estimated geological reserves of about 560 million barrels of crude.

The project sits on the shores of Lake Albert in the East African Rift Valley, where soft soil made construction extremely difficult.

The project team overcame geological challenges to lay 783 kilometers of pipelines and cables and install more than 300 sets of equipment.

The project has employed more than 1,500 Ugandan workers so far, with a localization rate of 90 percent, and provided 135,000 person-hours of skills training.

Once fully operational, the Kingfisher Oilfield is expected to reach a peak daily output of 40,000 barrels, boosting local employment and related industries.

China-built Uganda oilfield core facilities pass completion acceptance