A batch of 200 tents donated by India arrived in Chengdu, capital of the quake-hit Sichuan Province, on Saturday.

Visiting Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee attended a hand-over ceremony for the tents. He had stopped over in Chengdu on his way back to India following an official visit to China to attend the opening of the Indian consulate in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.

At the ceremony, he expressed his condolences to the Chinese people who had suffered in the May 12 quake on behalf of the Indian government and people.

Huang Xiaoxiang, vice governor of Sichuan, said the provincial government and people were grateful to India for offering help at a time of difficulty.

A Sichuan civil affairs department official said the tents would soon be sent to Deyang, one of the worst-hit regions.

The Indian government donated US$5 million worth of disaster relief goods to China after the massive earthquake last month.

(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2008)