The People's Bank of China, the central bank, said Friday it had set up special mechanisms to make sure relief funds could be promptly allocated from the State Treasury.

By 6:00 PM Thursday, the State Treasury Bureau had allocated a total of 260 million yuan (US$38 million) for the relief, and its branches in the quake-hit Qinghai Province had allocated 612 million yuan.

(Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2010)