The New Zealand government has offered 850,000 NZ dollars (US$646,000) to the earthquake-hit areas in China.

Eighteen New Zealand government ministers each offered a bottle of wine in a charity sale and donated the money to the earthquake victims. Prime Minister Helen Clark's wine fetched 12,600 NZ dollars (US$9,576).

Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in New Zealand has received 300,000 NZ dollars (US$228,000) from Chinese people living in this country as well as New Zealanders in aid for the quake victims.

An 8.0-magnitude earthquake jolted southwest China's Sichuan Province on May 12, leaving 69,172 people dead as of Tuesday, according to official figures.

(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2008)