China has given Laos a donation of $30,000 to help ease the suffering of victims of two major tropical storms.

The storms, Haima and Nock-Ten, struck in late June and late July, causing Laos' worst flooding in decades. The floodwaters swept away houses and rice barns and damaged thousands of hectares of farmland.

Chinese Ambassador Bu Jianguo presented the donation during a ceremony Friday at the foreign affairs ministry in Vientiane. She said she was confident the Lao people will overcome the disasters and rebuild their homes and lives.

The gift was received by the deputy minister of foreign affairs, Sounthone Sayachack. Sounthone said the donation reflected deepening ties between the two countries.

The two storms killed 27 people and caused an estimated $30 million in damage.