The Australian community in Hong Kong and several artists of the Process-Journey Exhibition, an Australian-China art exchange, have raised funds jointly for earthquake relief efforts in southwestern China.

Australian Consul-General Les Luck, together with representatives of the Support Australia Group, an umbrella organization for Australian business and community associations in Hong Kong, presented the donations of 70,200 HK dollars on Friday to Ann Choy, who represented the United Nations Children's Funds (UNICEF).

"The Australian community in Hong Kong has been deeply moved by the suffering in China, and we have all wanted to help those people in need," Luck said.

Staff members at the Australian Consulate-General in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region also contributed part of the donations.

Artists of the Process-Journey Exhibition agreed to use the exhibition as a fund-raising venue immediately when the Australian Consulate General in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region called to ask if they wanted to help.

The artists, including Chinese and Australian, invited their friends to a gathering of the Australian community in Hong Kong and helped with the fund raising.

"I was glad that we could do something," said Tony Scott, co-organizer of the exhibition, which ran in Hong Kong for about two weeks in mid-May.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2008)