By the end of February 3, China had mobilized more than two million members of the armed forces in its fight against extreme weather, the news affairs bureau with the Ministry of National Defense said in Beijing on Monday.

There are 519,000 troops from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Chinese People's Armed Police (PAP), and 1.613 million paramilitary members.

They had sent 219,000 wadded jackets, 528,000 quilts, 5,300 sets of winter tyre chains with another 5,000 sets being transported to the disaster-hit areas.

Also, nine helicopters airdropped food and quilts in Sichuan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the disaster relief operation is being jointly carried out by more than 10 departments and bureaus such as the General Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Communications.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2008)