Domestic and foreign donations for the victims of China's severe winter weather stood at 2.3 billion yuan (about US$320 million) as of February 29, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Friday.

About 1.5 billion yuan in donations, in cash or relief supplies, have been transferred to the provinces devastated by heavy snow and sleet that began in mid-January, said Zheng Yuanchang, the official in charge of charity affairs.

The remaining 769 million yuan in donations would soon be forwarded, Zheng said.

Chinese mainland donations were 1.54 billion yuan, accounting for 68 percent of the total.

These donations include 1.17 billion yuan from domestic companies, 158 million yuan from the armed forces, 100 million yuan from institutions, 62 million yuan from employees of central and local governments and 51 million yuan from individuals, the ministry's figures showed.

With an aggregate donation of 378 million yuan, the government of and various circles in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were the biggest contributors from outside the Chinese mainland, Zheng said.

He said that other donations included 168 million yuan from the government and various circles in Macao Special Administrative Region, 99 million yuan from individual overseas Chinese, 51 million yuan from foreign companies, foundations and individuals, 22 million from foreign governments and 16 million yuan from Taiwan compatriots.

To make the process more transparent, the ministry compiled a report so that the public could trace the use of donations, the official said.

The winter storms that affected central, south and southwest regions over a period of several weeks claimed 129 lives, damaged or destroyed 485,000 houses and ruined about 1.67 million hectares of crops. There were widespread reports of livestock deaths, schools and power facilities were damaged, and transportation was severely disrupted.

Losses have been put at about 151.6 billion yuan.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2008)