IN BRIEF (Page 8)

BoC quake rebuilding loans

Bank of China, the country's second-largest lender, said early this month that it would provide 25 billion yuan in loans to help finance rebuilding in quake-stricken Sichuan province.

Asia's largest cement producer, Conch Cement Co Ltd will receive 5 billion yuan in loans. The company will spend 4 billion to 5 billion yuan on building two cement plants in Sichuan to increase output in the province to 12 million tons by 2010, its executive director said.

Another 20 billion yuan in loans will go to Panzhihua Iron and Steel Corp to boost its working capital.

Haier gives 17.5 million more

To support education reconstruction in quake-hit Beichuan county, Sichuan province, Haier Group has made a second donation of 17.5 million yuan to build a middle school and 15 Hope Primary Schools.

So far, the domestic electric appliance company's total donation reaches 36.9 million yuan.

All of the money is operated under the Red Cross Society of China.

Relief on wings

US charity organization Gifts In Kind International and United Parcel Service (UPS) teamed up with the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC and several corporate donors to send a UPS plane carrying quake relief supplies to China recently.

The relief plane contains more than 10,000 tents, 1,100 cots and 225 cases of surgical gloves, says a press release from the charity group.

Universities offer aid

China's major universities have offered aid to students from areas hit by the earthquake. The Ministry of Education says universities directly under it have offered 4.4 million yuan in grant-in-aid to 4,417 students.

Peking University and 72 other universities have offered 8.26 million yuan in emergency financial aid to 14,977 students. They says they will also waive 1.45 million yuan in tuition fees for 299 students.

Chamber chips in

The China-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry has donated 95 million yuan in cash and materials to aid relief efforts in Sichuan.

"Through this donations, we want to express our deep condolences to the Chinese government and quake victims," Hao Ruiqiang, chairman of the chamber, says.

The money was collected from German firms in China, some of which also sent volunteers to help in the quake zone.

(China Daily 06/16/2008 page8)