The World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) will loan China more than US$900 million for reconstruction of areas devastated by the May 12 earthquake.

Officials from the two organizations made the announcement on Sunday at the ongoing EU-Sichuan Investment and Cooperation Conference in Chendu, capital of southwestern Sichuan Province, which was hardest-hit by the 8.0-magnitude quake.

The World Bank planned to provide an emergency recovery loan of US$710 million. Part of the money, US$510 million, will be allocated to Sichuan. Another US$200 million will go to the neighboring Gansu Province, said Ede Ljjasz, sustainable development manager in charge of the China and Mongolia sector.

The loans, expected to get board approval from the World Bank in December, are designed to facilitate the construction of roads, bridges, water supply pipelines, hospitals and child health care facilities.

AFD will loan China US$200 million which will be used to help construct urban infrastructure and rural houses, said Martha Stein-Sochas, the Asian affairs division head.

China estimated the total cost for its three-year reconstruction plan to be US$147 billion.

(Xinhua News Agency October 27, 2008)