After being screened by Chinese medics at the Kabul Royal Hospital, the first group of 21 children, aged 2 to 14, arrived at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University on Aug 30. As of Monday, 17 had undergone successful operations and were recovering well. WANG JING/CHINA DAILY

As China's largest humanitarian group, the Red Cross Society is a major platform for boosting people-to-people diplomacy, as it can rally nongovernmental resources as well as boost communication and cooperation at the individual level, Wang said. It is also more likely to be well received by local communities, he added.

As the first 21 children recover from vital treatment and get ready to return to Afghanistan, another group is preparing to head to China.

"We will give the children the best gift they could ever wish for－a new life," Sun said.