China's Ministry of Defense held a reception on Thursday to express gratitude to foreign armed forces that provided aid in the aftermath of the May 12 earthquake.

Defense ministries and militaries from 18 countries, including the United States, Russia, Singapore and Germany, offered humanitarian aid after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit the southwest China's Sichuan Province and neighboring regions, said Ma Xiaotian, deputy chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Ma said they made donations, provided rescue equipment, offered quake relief supplies and sent rescue and medical teams.

The PLA has also taken part in several international disaster rescues, offering aid after the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, the 2004 earthquake in Pakistan and hurricanes in the United States in 2005.

The May 12 quake claimed nearly 70,000 lives, injured more than 370,000 people and left more than 18,000 missing.

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2008)