Condolence messages and offers for aid are continuing to be sent to China in view of the recent devastating quake in its southwest Sichuan Province, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

Israeli President Shimon Peres, speaker of the Upper House of the Afghan parliament Sibghatullah Mojaddedi, speaker of the Guyanese parliament Ralph Ramkarran, Guyana's Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Henry Jeffrey, and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan have expressed their condolences to China over the quake.

Bangladesh has sent a cargo plane carrying 10 tons of relief materials to the quake-hit region, and the Bangladesh Red Cross donated US$5,000 to the Red Cross Society of China.

Meanwhile, Venezuela has offered US$1 million for quake relief, while New Zealand has provided an additional US$280,000.

The 8.0-magnitude quake on May 12, centered in Sichuan's Wenchuan county, has left over 68,000 people dead and some 365,000 injured. About 20,000 people were reported missing as of midday Wednesday.

(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2008)