Ten Russian children injured in the Beslan hostage crisis two years ago are receiving rehabilitation therapy in the tropical seaport of Sanya, China's southernmost city in Hainan Province.

The children, all aged around 13, suffered gunshot injuries and were menaced by their captors in September 2004, which resulted in severe physical and mental trauma.

They will receive a month's treatment at the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sanya. The Chinese government will pay for their treatment costs of 1.6 million yuan (US$198,000).

Liu Dexi, head of the hospital, said the treatment would be a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in addition to recreational activities to help the children recover from their psychological trauma as soon as possible.

The Ministry of Health signed a memorandum of understanding on the project with its Russian counterpart last September.

The Ministry of Health dispatched a group of doctors to Russia last month to assess the injured children.

With a recommendation from the Russian side, the health ministry chose 10 children for the treatment, who arrived in Sanya on Tuesday.

Yin Li, an official with the ministry, said that this is the "Year of Russia" in China and the Chinese government attaches great importance to the children's treatment.

"Their treatment embodies the traditional friendship and mutual trust between the Chinese and Russian people as well as the friendly cooperative relationship between the two governments," Yin said.

On September 1, 2004, more than 30 Chechen militants attacked the No 1 Middle School in Beslan, a town in the Republic of North Ossetia in southern Russia, and took more than 1,000 students, teachers and parents hostage on the first day of the new term. The crisis ended in bloodshed three days later as Russian special forces stormed the school gym where the hostages were being held after explosions were heard inside.

Altogether 331 people were killed, including 186 children. More than 700 were injured.

China condemned the terrorist attack and donated more than 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) worth of medical equipment and medicine to Russia. The Red Cross of China donated US$100,000 in cash.

(China Daily May 4, 2006)