Hong Kong to give massive donation to China quake relief effort

Asia-Pacific News

Jul 5, 2008, 6:38 GMT

Hong Kong - Hong Kong legislators were Saturday touring earthquake-devastated parts of Sichuan in China as the city prepares to make a massive and controversial donation to the relief effort. The 19-member delegation from the former British colony saw towns at the epicentre of the May earthquake Saturday and visited a cargo centre from where aid for victims is being distributed. Hong Kong's legislative council president Rita Fan said the visit would give members a better understanding of how the long-term relief effort will work. However, she added that no decision can be made on how much Hong Kong people will give to long-term relief until the government puts forward a specific proposal. Tens of millions of US dollars have already been given by private individuals in Hong Kong, including huge lump sums from high-profile tycoons, towards the earthquake relief effort. The city's Beijing-appointed administration is now expected to ask legislators to give 10 billion Hong Kong dollars (1.28 billion US dollars) in long-term aid in a gesture of patriotic solidarity with Sichuan. However, the scale of the proposed donation from Hong Kong has stirred controversy with some legislators saying it is excessive and more a political than a humanitarian gesture. Pro-democracy legislator Emily Lau complained that proposals to better look after Hong Kong's own underprivileged had been dismissed by the government. Hong Kong was a British colony for 156 years before reverting to Chinese sovereignty under a 'one country, two systems' arrangement in 1997.

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Hong Kong to give massive donation to China quake relief effort

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