Quake Relief in Action: HK, Macao, Taiwan people donate for quake zone

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan expressed their care for quake-hit people in northwest China's Qinghai Province by offering donation of money and relief materials.

Hong Kong and Macao people donated 4 million Hong Kong dollars (515,375 U.S. dollars) to the China Overseas Friendship Association for quake relief in Yushu of Qinghai Province Thursday, according to the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee.

Hong Kong Red Cross has promised to donated relief materials worth of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars, while its Macao counterpart allocated 300,000 patacas (37,527 U.S. dollars) from its relief fund for Qinghai quake relief, the Red Cross Society of China said Thursday.

The Macau SAR Red Cross also called on the public to chip in and has received 750,000 patacas of donation from the public and social groups.

The Taiwan Red Cross organization has decided to donate 100,000 U.S. dollars and offered to provide aid for rescue if needed, according to the Red Cross Society of China.

A spokesman from the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office Thursday expressed gratitude to people from all circles in Taiwan for their support of the mainland's quake relief efforts.

Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) offered to send rescue team to the quake zone Wednesday afternoon.

After consulting with the quake-relief headquarters, the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) sent a letter to the SEF Thursday, saying the rescue work was going on orderly and effectively, and by Thursday morning there would be more than 6,000 rescue workers in the quake zone.

The ARATS said in the letter that the association would contact the SEF if the quake zone needed help in following rescue work.

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Yushu Wednesday. The quake has left more than 600 people dead in the region and about 100,000 people were relocated.