General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Hu Jintao meets with a delegation of ethnic minorities from Taiwan, headed by actor-turned-politician Kao Chin Su-mei in Beijing, Aug. 19, 2009.(Xinhua/Li Xueren) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- As Taiwan was hit by the most devastating typhoon in half a century, the Communist Party of China (CPC) top leader Hu Jintao said Wednesday that the mainland shared "the same feeling" with Taiwan people.

    "We share the same feeling with Taiwan compatriots, especially the ethnic minorities, who suffered serious life and property loss in the recent disaster. We are very much concerned," said Hu, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

    Hu expressed deep sorrow and condolences for the typhoon victims to an actor-turned-politician Kao Chin Su-mei who leads her fellow ethnic minorities in Taiwan to visit the mainland.

    As of noon Wednesday, 136 people were confirmed dead in Taiwan,45 injured and 386 missing. The death toll did not include 523 people who were buried under mudslides in two villages.

    "The difficulties Taiwan compatriots are facing mean the same to us," Hu said. "We will continue helping them in rescue and relief as well as support them in rehabilitation."

    The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Fan Liqing said Wednesday at a press briefing that the mainland was "keen to lend a hand."

    On Aug. 10 right after the typhoon swept the island, the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee contacted the headquarters of Kuomintang, the island's ruling party, expressing the will of being ready to help.

    So far the mainland has donated about 176 million yuan (26 million U.S. dollars) and 25 million yuan worth of disaster relief materials to Taiwan.

    The first batch of prefab houses and 10,000 sleeping bags, 10,000 blankets and 1,000 sterilization appliances reached Kaohsiung Tuesday.

    Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the Chinese mainland and the international community for typhoon disaster relief aid.

    The mainland also offered to send a civilian helicopter, rescue experts, medics and engineers to assist relief work even though Taiwan said these are not needed at the moment.

    Spokeswoman Fan said, "The two sides can develop a mutual mechanism of disaster warning, rescue, relief and rehabilitation."

    Based on existing cross-Strait seminars on weather forecast and disaster warning, the two sides can move forwards to share information and exchange experience, she said.

    Ordinary people are a major force in raising fund for help. At a fund-raising stand in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan Province, a middle-aged man emptied his wallet and went to a nearby bank to withdraw more money for donation.

    "We received help from Taiwan people. So when they need us, we should spare no efforts," the man said on condition of anonymity.

    Sichuan received about 1.32 billion yuan and relief material worth 200 million yuan (29.27 million dollars) from Taiwan after it was hit by the 8.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12, 2008.

    An online post, wooing donation to typhoon rescue and relief, has attracted more than 167,000 views since it was put on the popular mainland online community Tianya on Aug. 11.

    "I broke into tears," said netizen Yusufliu, who saw pictures of Xiaolin village in Kaoshiung where 491 people were buried under the mudslides. "I really feel sorry for them," the netizen said. "Hope people in Taiwan can pull through this disaster as early as possible."

    At the website of Phoenix TV, a netizen said in a post, "I am a migrant worker. I just learnt form the Internet that I could send short messages to donate money. I sent five messages, donating ten yuan. Don't laugh at me as I did not earn much."

    The mainland and Taiwan, with a long feud after the civil war 60 years ago, saw warmer ties in the past year, featuring direct transportation, financial cooperation and more frequent exchange of visits.

    CPC top leader Hu said, "People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are of one family and Chinese people have a long tradition of lending a hand to those in danger and difficulties."



Chinese mainland donates 176 mln yuan to typhoon hit Taiwan 

Workers unload relief materials from China's mainland after the special flight arrived at Kaohsiung, southeast China's Taiwan Province, Aug. 18, 2009. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland has so far donated about 176 million yuan (26 million U.S. dollars) and 25 million yuan of disaster relief materials to Typhoon Morakot-stricken Taiwan, said State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Fan Liqing on Wednesday.

    "The mainland wants genuinely and sincerely to help Taiwan people, and has provided good quality relief materials," Fan said. Full story

Mainland standing by to send helicopter to Taiwan for typhoon relief: officials

The special flight for relief materials from China's mainland arrives at Kaohsiung, southeast China's Taiwan Province, Aug. 18, 2009. The batch of the relief aid, including 10,000 sleeping bags, 10,000 blankets and 1,000 sterilizers, would be rushed to the Typhoon Morakot seriously-stricken areas in the island.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING/TAIPEI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland is on standby to send a civilian helicopter to Taiwan to aid typhoon relief efforts there, mainland officials said Wednesday.

    Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, told a press conference in Beijing that the Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter, owned by a private company on the mainland, can fly to Taiwan "at any time." Full story

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou thanks mainland, int'l society for aid 

    TAIPEI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou on Tuesday expressed gratitude to the Chinese mainland and the international community for typhoon disaster relief aid.

    Ma said at a press conference he would review Taiwan's disaster prevention system and improve the efficiency of the relief work. Full story

Mainland sends second batch of disaster relief materials to Taiwan

    BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland sent the second batch of disaster relief materials to typhoon Morakot-battered Taiwan by air Tuesday.

    The materials include more than 10,000 sleeping bags, 10,000 blankets and 1,000 sterilizers, said Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at the Beijing Capital International Airport. Full story 

Prefabricated houses donated by Chinese mainland on their way to typhoon-hit area in Taiwan 

The container trucks loaded with 100 makeshift houses in initial relief aid offered by mainland China wait for departure at Kaohsiung port in southeast China's Taiwan Province, August 18, 2009. (Xinhua) Photo Gallery>>>

    KAOHSIUM, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of 100 prefabricated houses donated by Shenzhen, a port city in south China, arrived in Taiwan's Kaohsiung port Tuesday afternoon and was soon transported to the area destroyed by Typhoon Morakot in Pingtung County.

    The houses will be delivered to local authorities to help residents displaced by the typhoon that has so far claimed at least 127 lives on the island.  Full story

Chinese mainland donates prefabricated houses to Typhoon-hit Taiwan 

People attend a donation ceremony for the typhoon-hit Taiwan at Yantian Port in Shenzhen, a booming city in south China, Aug. 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Wu Jun) Photo Gallery>>>

    SHENZHEN, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of 100 prefabricated houses donated by Shenzhen, a booming city in south China, left Yantian Port Monday evening for Taiwan's Kaohsiung port.

    Shenzhen City government decided to donate 1,000 prefabricated houses, which cover more than 50,000 square meters with a worth of nearly 20 million yuan (2.9 million U.S. dollars).