China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said in Beijing on Sunday that it fast-tracked entry for 38 overseas rescue and medical teams and 28 batches of relief supplies.

The assistance came from 17 countries and regions, including Russia, China's Taiwan, Japan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong, it said.

Six countries and regions - Russia, Singapore, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong - had dispatched rescue teams to Sichuan, the worst affected province.

The relief materials included satellite phones, diesel engines, cutting machines, telecommunications equipment, and excavators.

Earlier in the day, Ma Jian, deputy director of the Combat Department of the PLA General Staff Headquarters, said China's cooperation with other nations in disaster rescue and relief work had contributed to its valuable core experience in dealing with the aftermath of the southwest China earthquake.

On May 12, a 8.0-magnitude quake, centered on Wenchuan County in southwestern China's Sichuan Province, affected many parts of the country. The death toll had risen to 32,477 nationwide as of 2 p.m. Sunday, while 220,109 others were injured.

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2008)