Chernobyl child victims visit China

KIEV - A delegation of Ukrainian child victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster left Thursday for rehabilitation and recreation in China, Ukrainian government's press service reported.

During the seven-day trip, the 200 children and accompanying adults would visit some of China's historical and cultural sites and participate in various children's activities during the trip, Ukraine Deputy Social Policy Minister Vyacheslav Kolomyets said.

The trip was made possible by the presidents of the two countries during a state visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Ukraine in June 2011, Kolomyets said.

Kolomyets said he was confident the trip would be interesting, informative and enjoyable due to the great efforts by the Chinese side.

He expressed appreciation to China for organizing the trip, saying the children's rehabilitation was extremely important for Ukraine.

The Chernobyl disaster, the worst nuclear accident in history, occurred in April 1986, leaving over 2 million Ukrainians with various diseases, including thyroid and skin cancers, leukemia and other physical and psychological problems.