Super Typhoon Haiyan victims sift through the rubble of their destroyed homes as a military cargo plane flies overhead in Tacoblan on Wednesday. The United Nations has confirmed at least 4,500 deaths in the disaster. Photo: AFP

China is sending a hospital ship and other medical assistance teams to the Philippines after 10 million yuan ($1.64 million) worth of relief goods arrived in the typhoon-devastated country, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Upon confirmation from Manila, two batches of international rescue teams are being sent to the Philippines by the Red Cross Society of China, with the first batch of 17 having left on Wednesday and the second batch set to leave on Saturday, China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press briefing on Wednesday.

The Chinese navy's medical ship Peace Ark will also set sail on Thursday to the affected areas of the Philippines to join relief efforts, Hong said, noting that China has been closely following the disaster and the move reflects the "Chinese people's friendly feelings for the people of the Philippines."

The emergency medical assistance teams of 51 members sent by the Chinese health authority will set off within the next few days.

Some 200 prefabricated homes worth 3.2 million yuan will be offered to the Philippines, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a leading charity organization in China, announced on Tuesday.

Despite the ongoing international criticism of China's slow and inadequate aid, "with these efforts China has been doing what it is supposed to do and shouldered its due responsibility," Bi Shihong, a professor with the School of International Studies at Yunnan University, told the Global Times.

"As the relief work is over  a long period, China can play an even bigger role in helping the Philippines with its reconstruction in sectors such as infrastructure and medical service, in which China has an edge," Bi said.

Super Typhoon Haiyan, which made landfall in the Philippines on November 8, has caused the death of 4,011 people as of Wednesday, with more than 18,000 injured and around 1,600 missing, according to figures updated by the Philippine disaster agency.

The naval hospital ship was set to depart on Thursday morning from a military port of East China Sea Fleet and travel for three days before reaching the Philippines, a navy source told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Zhao Baige (right), executive vice president of the Red Cross Society of China, talks to a 17-member disaster relief advance team departing for the Philippines at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Wednesday. Photo: IC

The specific operation areas will be decided upon coordinating with the Philippine government and international troops already operating there, the source said, adding that the arrival of the Peace Ark means sending China's state-of-the-art hospital ship to the ravaged region.

The 14,000-ton ship has visited eight Asian countries during a 125-day mission that lasted from June through October and provided medical services to more than 30,000 people, according to an earlier report of China Military Online.

Humanitarian aid worth 10 million yuan, which includes tents and blankets, arrived in the central Philippine city of Cebu on Monday and Tuesday, Hong told reporters on Tuesday.

The relief goods were handed over to the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development and will then be sent on to Tacloban, one of the hardest-hit regions.

The Philippine government said on Tuesday that 24,770 personnel, 1,306 vehicles, 104 ships and 163 aircraft had been deployed.

A total of 88 medical teams, 43 foreign and 45 local, have spread out across the region, Reuters reported.

After floods of criticism from both in and outside the Philippines for the government's slow response before and after the disaster, various departments including military, health and economy are now functioning and Philippine President Benigno Aquino is personally overseeing humanitarian efforts in the storm-smashed areas, where 4.4 million have been displaced.

"There have indeed been some improvements in the performance of Aquino government. The following rebuilding period is a serious test and even decisive for Aquino's political career. If the government fails Filipinos in the reconstruction stage, it's very likely that Aquino will face an end to his presidency," Bi said.

Chinese companies based in the Philippines have been mobilizing their staff including local ones to extend relief helps to the victims.

The Association of Chinese Companies in the Philippines has donated 7.5 million pesos for buying three payloaders which are much-needed for clean-up of the disaster areas.

Huawei Co., a telecom giant, has been working around the clock in restoring the lifeline of communication in typhoon-affected areas.

China National Grid Co., the technical partner of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), has donated $100,000 to the disaster area. It also offered a helping hand in restoring the power system of the typhoon-hit areas.

Agencies contributed to this story