The Red Cross Society of China has given US$100,000 to its Portuguese counterpart for relief work in parts of Portugal swept by forest fires this year, Xinhua reports.

The Chinese state-run news agency says Portuguese Red Cross President Luis Barbosa accepted the donation from Chinese Ambassador to Portugal Cai Run in a ceremony in Lisbon.

Fires in northern and central Portugal this month killed at least 36 people, and fires in the centre of the country in June killed 64, Xinhua says.