BEIRUT -- Lebanon's Minister of Social Affairs Rashid Derbas and Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Jiang Jiang signed an agreement Wednesday on a donation granted by China to the social service centers affiliated with the ministry.

During a joint press conference, Derbas said that "the donation was advantageous to the Syrian refugees and the communities hosting them", pointing that the donation "is comprised of humanitarian aids earmarked to hospitals in addition to tents that should be erected before the advent of winter".

He stressed that the mutual relations between China and Lebanon are "strong and friendly," hoping that "the Chinese grant would be a starting point for developing the relations between the two countries."

For his part, the Chinese envoy said the donation was especially for the hosting communities bearing the brunt of the reverberations of the Syrian crisis.

He said that China appreciates the Lebanese government's efforts in supporting the Syrian refugees, expressing hope that this agreement would help Lebanon overcome the burden of the refugees' crisis."

According to the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees, there are currently more than 1.2 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and the number may reach 1.5 million by the year-end.

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