A Chinese official said on Wednesday that the country has invested more than 360 billion yuan (US$52.7 billion) in reconstruction projects in the area hit by a magnitude-8.0 earthquake by the end of April.

Zhang Ping, minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's chief economic planning body, said that more than 21,000 reconstruction projects have started, and more than 9,400 have been completed.

Zhang made the statement in a report submitted to the ninth session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2009)