Following the devastating double earthquakes that hit Venezuela on June 24, which at time of writing had claimed at least 1,450 lives with more than 3,100 injured and 50,000 or more people missing, and caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including homes, hospitals and the country’s main international airport, China and its socialist neighbour Vietnam have joined the international relief effort for their sister nation in Latin America.

On June 26, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolences to Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, Xi mourned those killed in the earthquakes and expressed sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and those injured. China, he said, stands ready to provide assistance to Venezuela in disaster relief and reconstruction.

He also expressed confidence that under the leadership of the Venezuelan government, the Venezuelan people will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes at an early date.

At time of writing, it was announced at the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s regular press conference on June 29 that China has decided to offer additional aid to Venezuela for post-quake relief and reconstruction.

According to spokesperson Guo Jiakun, the additional emergency material assistance is worth 100 million yuan (about 14.67 million US dollars), following the cash assistance that has already been provided.

Guo had previously responded to relevant questions at press conferences on June 25 and June 26, where he said that both the Chinese government and the Red Cross Society of China will provide emergency humanitarian aid to Venezuela, adding that the Venezuelan government has thanked China for its support.

In the meantime, Chinese in Venezuela lost no time in supporting relief efforts once the earthquakes struck, with several Chinese-funded enterprises in the country mobilising relief efforts.

The Xinhua News Agency reports that the companies responded quickly to the disaster and, under the guidance of the Chinese Embassy, coordinated with local Chinese communities and business associations to take part in relief work. Their efforts included providing heavy machinery and medical supplies and deploying rescue teams.

Overseas Chinese in Venezuela have so far donated about 500 tonnes of relief supplies. The supplies, including bottled water, biscuits, diapers, milk, rice, sugar and fish, have benefited nearly 10,000 families affected by the disaster.

Xinhua also introduced the moving story of Pitney Delgado, a Venezuelan worker, who has worked alongside Chinese colleagues for more than ten years. When Xinhua interviewed him, he had been working in the relief effort for more than 50 hours without rest.

Delgado said years of working with Chinese colleagues had left him with a lasting impression of their “warm hearts,” strengthening his willingness to help others in times of crisis. That commitment was reinforced by a practical skill: more than a decade ago, while working at a Chinese company, he learned to operate heavy machinery under Chinese mentors.

He first met Jiang Wangbing, now president of the China-Venezuela Chamber of Commerce, in 2015, when he began learning crane operation.

“It was a huge machine weighing dozens of tonnes,” Delgado said. “At first I was nervous. One mistake could damage property or hurt someone.”

With patient instruction, he said he mastered basic crane operations within a week. “The training was very focused. They wanted you to learn everything,” he said.

After the earthquakes, the China-Venezuela Chamber of Commerce quickly mobilised cranes and heavy machinery for rescue operations at collapsed buildings. Delgado joined without hesitation. He said he could not stop working after seeing on social media people digging through rubble with their bare hands. “Without machines, how could we clear the debris?” he said. “It would be impossible.”

Asked about working under dangerous conditions, he said: “There were aftershocks and unstable structures. Of course, I was afraid. But when I thought people might still be trapped, I could not stop.”

“As long as I am needed here, as long as there are still people to rescue, I will keep working.”

Meanwhile, socialist Vietnam has launched a major national effort to support Venezuela.

The country’s Ministry of National Defence promptly decided to deploy an 82-member military humanitarian and disaster relief team to support search and rescue operations and post-earthquake recovery efforts. To support relief efforts, the Vietnam People’s Army has established a humanitarian assistance mission comprising command personnel, a military engineering search-and-rescue unit, medical personnel, and a canine search-and-rescue unit.

During the mission, the Vietnamese force will use search dogs to locate victims trapped under collapsed structures, conduct urban search-and-rescue operations, provide emergency medical assistance to survivors, and carry out other humanitarian tasks to help Venezuelan authorities and local communities recover from the disaster.

Addressing a meeting to assign tasks to the rescuers in the capital Hanoi, General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and Deputy Minister of National Defence, stressed that the mission carries profound international significance, reflecting the party and state’s foreign policy, contributing to enhancing the country’s reputation in global disaster response and reaffirming the traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Venezuela.

He stressed that the operation will be demanding and potentially dangerous, requiring close coordination with personnel from the Vietnamese People’s Public Security force, international rescue teams and Venezuelan authorities and people. He instructed the team to comply with local laws, ensure the safety of personnel and equipment, actively assist local communities within their capabilities, and uphold the image and traditions of the VPA throughout the mission.

The mission is also transporting about 88 tonnes of equipment and relief supplies, including 50 compressed ration bars, 1,600 tents and 15 generators.

For its part, the Ministry of Public Security also held a departure ceremony in Hanoi on June 28 for a 41-member search and rescue team heading to Venezuela.

Following instructions from Vietnam’s party and state leadership, the ministry decided to send a specialised team to support searching for missing victims, rescue and emergency response operations, and post-disaster recovery efforts.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister Senior Lieutenant General Le Van Tuyen said the deployment reflects not only humanitarian support but also international solidarity and the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Venezuela.

Estela del Valle Quijada Suarez, Chargé d’Affaires of the Venezuelan Embassy in Vietnam, expressed appreciation to Vietnam’s party, state, government and Ministry of Public Security for the timely assistance, describing the mission as a symbol of friendship, solidarity, and mutual support between the two countries’ people during a difficult period.

Vietnam Airlines, the country’s national carrier, organised a special flight to carry the 124 members of the two rescue teams, their 10 search and rescue dogs, approximately 25 tonnes of humanitarian supplies, specialised equipment and rescue gear to support relief operations in the earthquake-affected areas.

To ensure the timely deployment of the mission, Vietnam Airlines mobilised extensive resources, including ground service personnel and a dedicated flight crew of 23 members. The airline also completed logistical preparations and flight clearance procedures within a short timeframe to meet the urgent requirements of the mission.