A 20-member medical team from Taiwan Sunday night arrived in Xining, ready to offer treatment to people injured in Wednesday's earthquake in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

The medical team, bringing more than 1,000 kg of medicine and equipment, arrived at the Caojiapu airport in Xining, capital of Qinghai, at about 9:00 PM, the Red Cross in Qinghai said.

The team will work with mainland doctors from Monday to treat more than 70 injured people at the No. 1 People's Hospital in Xining.

The 20 medical staff, mainly surgeons and public health workers, all have first-aid experience in earthquake and flooding rescue missions. Some of them also joined the medical rescue in the Wenchuan earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province in May 2008.

In a statement issued Sunday, the Red Cross Society of China said they welcomed the Taiwan medical team and would assist them in carrying out rescue efforts.

A 7.1-magnitude quake struck the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu early Wednesday. At least 1,706 people were killed, 256 still missing and 12,128 injured, according to Sunday's latest official tally.

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2010)