Liberian President Weah in a photo shot with the new Chinese Ambassador accredited to Liberia Fu Jijun. (Liberia's Executive Mansion Photo)

MONROVIA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- China has donated 1,243 metric tons of rice to Liberia as emergency humanitarian food assistance.

A statement by the Liberian government late Sunday confirmed that all 50 containers of rice had arrived in the country and were received by officials.

"The donation was based upon a request from the Liberian government," said Liberia's acting foreign minister Elias Shoniyin.

The food assistance would help alleviate the hardship that the continuous rise in the price of rice, a staple food in Liberia, has brought on ordinary citizens, Shoniyin said.

The new administration of President George Weah has been working to stabilize the price of rice with the aim of making it affordable to most of the citizens, he said.

Fu Jijun, the Chinese ambassador in Liberia, said the donated rice would be allocated to the needy, and that China is willing to help the West African country raise grain production and strengthen its agriculture sector.