KABUL, April 26 (Xinhua) -- China has handed over a batch of emergency food assistance to Afghanistan.

The assistance was handed over to Afghan State Minister for Disaster Management Ghulam Bahaudin Jailani by Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu during a ceremony in Kabul on Sunday.

Wang said China and Afghanistan are good neighbors, friends and partners who have always maintained good-neighborly friendship and mutual assistance.

China has provided more than 13,000 tons of food aid to Afghanistan in recent years, benefiting millions of people across the country, Wang said.

To fight COVID-19, China has provided several batches of medical supplies to Afghanistan and will donate vaccine doses soon, the ambassador noted.

Meanwhile, China encourages Chinese companies to actively participate in the economic reconstruction of Afghanistan, so that the achievement of China-Afghanistan cooperation in building the Belt and Road will benefit the people of both countries, he added.

At present, the Afghan peace and reconciliation process is at the critical and important stage. China has always supported the "Afghan-led and Afghan-owned" principle, and will work with the international community to support and help Afghanistan for a better future, Wang said.

Jailani expressed his gratitude to China's timely assistance, saying such aid represented the long-standing friendship between the two countries. He also pledged to distribute the food provided by China to the Afghans in need as soon as possible in a transparent and fair manner.

It is hoped that the two countries will continue to deepen cooperation in the humanitarian field in the future, Jailani added.