China offers $3 billion in aid and loans to neighbours - Xinhua

20/12/2014 - 10:23

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has offered more than $3 billion (2 billion pounds) in loans and aid to neighbours Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos to improve infrastructure and production, and to fight poverty, state media reported on Saturday.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the offer included $1 billion for infrastructure, $490 million for poverty alleviation and $1.6 billion in special loans for China's production capacity export, Xinhua news agency said.

During a speech to the fifth summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation in Bangkok, Li also pledged $16.4 million to dredge waterways along the Mekong River to prevent natural disasters.

(Reporting by Engen Tham; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)