Special report: Reconstruction After Earthquake    

    BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The people of Taiwan had pledged or given a total of 780 million yuan (112 million U.S. dollars) as of Wednesday for relief and reconstruction in areas hit by the May 12earthquake.

    The donations came from people in Taiwan and Taiwanese businesspeople on the mainland, said Yang Yi, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Friday.

    "We are very grateful to the Taiwan compatriots' heart-felt care for the quake victims and their generosity. You can be assured that your aid will be sent to the most needed people and places," he said.

    The Taiwan people had also donated 2,000 tons of cement, 100 maritime satellite telephones, 100 tons of tents, sleeping bags and medical supplies, and other relief materials including food, medicine, underwear and bicycles, said Yang.

    He said organizations in Taiwan also called or sent letters to the office, expressing condolences and readiness to send rescue teams, medical teams, psychological counselors and geologists to the quake zones.

    The Taiwan Red Cross organization sent a rescue team to southwestern Sichuan Province from May 16 to 20 and a medical team, which treated 476 injured people, from May 20 to 25, he said.

    The teams contributed greatly, Yang said, adding a Taiwan engineering group arrived in Sichuan on May 27 to help rebuild homes.

    The 8.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked southwestern Sichuan Province on May 12 has killed at least 68,516 people, while 365,399 are injured and 19,350 missing as of Thursday noon.

    Yang added that Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, a pair of pandas the mainland has promised to send to Taiwan, are getting good care following the quake.

    According to the Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve in Sichuan, the two are getting the best of treatment, Yang said. "We ask the Taiwan compatriots not to worry about them."

    He expressed hope that with cross-Strait efforts, the pandas will eventually arrive in Taiwan safe and sound.

    The animals were rescued shortly after the quake, which badly damaged the Wolong reserve and left several pandas at large.