The General Staff Department (GSD) of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) issued an order at 1:30 PM on Wednesday to dispatch 30,000 more soldiers to southwest China's Sichuan Province to help with disaster relief work.

As of 1:00 PM on Wednesday, China had dispatched 47,813 personnel to help with relief work: PLA officers, armed police and paramilitary forces, military sources said.

Twenty-two military transport aircraft, 12 civilian aircraft and 18 helicopters had been launched as of Wednesday afternoon, and more than 12.5 tons of relief goods were air-dropped to quake-hit areas.

The PLA and armed police authorities have also established an ad hoc command center headed by Chief of General Staff Chen Bingde, to direct rescue and relief operations by military personnel.

(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2008)