Chinese people from all walks of life have donated more than 100 million yuan (US$12.09 million) to the tsunami-hit southern and southeastern Asian countries as of 4pm yesterday, according to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The special MCA office coordinating non-governmental donations to the disaster-stricken countries released relevant statistics for the first time yesterday.
So far, donations totaling 105 million yuan have been received by the Red Cross Society of China, China Charity Federation and their local operations and transferred to the special donation accounts.
Pang chenmin, vice director of MCA Disaster Relief Department, told Xinhua that more donations will "pour in in the coming days" and his ministry will release relevant statistics on a regular basis.
Elsewhere, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is offering online services to those who want to donate money for the relief.
Through the ICBC Website donators can easily finish the payment that will immediately reach a special account of the Red Cross Society of China.
The bank's service is free of charge for both donators and the RCSC. The RCSC has pledged to allocate all the donations for the disaster-hit areas.
In bangkok, staff of the Chinese Embassy and Chinese enterprises in Thailand yesterday donated US$29,000 to the Thai government for disaster relief in the tsunami-hit southwestern coast of the country.
The donation, exchanged into checks of 1.15 million baht (US$29,000), was handed by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jiuhuan to Chalermpon Ake-uru, deputy permanent secretary of the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Zhang extended condolences of the Chinese government and people to Chalermpon and wished the donation can help relieve local people's suffering from the disaster and rebuild their home soon.
In yangon, Chinese diplomatic personnel and some Chinese business companies based in Myanmar yesterday donated over US$7,000 for victims in tsunami-hit areas of the country.
According to latest figures, 64 people were killed, 56 injured and 29 villages destroyed, leaving 3,460 people in Myanmar homeless.