Relief funds and materials donated from the Chinese mainland to Morakot-stricken Taiwan has totaled 300 million yuan (US$44 million) as of Wednesday night, said Yang Yi, spokesman with the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office on Thursday.

The total donations included 270 million yuan in relief funds and 30 million yuan of relief materials, Yang said.

As of 1:30 PM on Wednesday, typhoon Morakot had left at least 136 people dead and 386 missing in Taiwan, local disaster response authorities said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2009)