The Chinese mainland has so far donated at least 968.9 million yuan (about US$142 million) to typhoon victims in Taiwan, a mainland official said Wednesday.

The donation came from all circles on the mainland, State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Yang Yi said at a press conference.

More than 100 million yuan of the donation has been forwarded to the island for disaster relief, according to Yang.

The rest of the fund would be transferred to the Taiwan side mainly by the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) and the Red Cross Society for rehabilitation, he said.

Yang pledged the mainland would continue its efforts to aid their habilitation of typhoon-battered areas in Taiwan if asked.

A mainland Red Cross Society delegation ended a five-day visit to the island Monday.

Morakot, the worst typhoon to hit Taiwan in nearly 50 years, ravaged the island in early August, leaving about 700 people dead or missing and forcing the evacuation of thousands.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2009)