Special report: Strong Earthquake Jolts SW China

    BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo met here Friday with visiting Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo, expressing appreciation for Singapore's aid for earthquake victims.

    Yeo, on behalf of the Singaporean government and people, extended condolences and sympathy for the Chinese people, saying that the Singaporean people was ready to stand by the Chinese people's side to offer help within capacity.

    A 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday afternoon. The confirmed death toll in Sichuan was 19,509 by 4 p.m. Thursday, and more than 50,000 people were feared dead.

    Singapore on Wednesday announced it will donate 200,000 U.S. dollars to China. The Chinese government has accepted rescue aid offers from Singapore.

    State Councilor Dai Bingguo briefed Yeo on Sichuan's disaster relief work, and expressed appreciation for Singapore's aid.

    Dai believed that under the leadership of the Chinese government, the Chinese people will be sure to overcome this serious disaster.

    Dai and Yeo also exchanged views on the China-Singapore relations, saying that China was willing to push forward the relations with Singapore, in a bid to benefit the two peoples.

    Yeo was here on a visit to China from May 14 to 18 at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.