BEIJING -- China issued a white paper on Thursday to present an overall picture of its foreign aid activities over the past few decades.

The document says that while focusing on its own development, China has provided as much aid as possible to other developing countries with economic difficulties and fulfilled its international obligations.

The white paper, issued by the Information Office of the State Council, or China's Cabinet, introduces China's foreign aid policy and the financial resources that the aid has drawn upon in the past, as well as revealing the extent of China's cooperation in international aid activities.

It also provides information about the distribution and management of China's foreign aid.

China first began to provide foreign aid in 1950, when it provided material assistance to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Vietnam.

By the end of 2009, China offered aid to 161 countries and more than 30 international and regional organizations, according to the white paper.

In detail, China provided 256.29 billion yuan (38.54 billion U.S.dollars) in aid to foreign countries, including 106.2 billion yuan in grants, 76.54 billion yuan in interest-free loans and 73.55 billion yuan in concessional loans.

The recipients of China's foreign aid are mainly low-income developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Oceania and Eastern Europe, with Asia and Africa accounting for 80 percent of the total figure, the white paper says.

China sent over 21,000 medical workers to other countries and treated 260 million patients in those countries as of the end of 2009, the white paper says.

In the document, China also pledges to further improve its foreign aid and calls for the international community to "strengthen cooperation and jointly rise to the challenges facing developing countries".