1,000 tents donated by Hong Kong for people left homeless by the Sichuan earthquake arrived in Chengdu Monday, a government press release said.

The Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Chengdu Richard F C Luk, on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, presented the tents to the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office ( HKMAO), Sichuan Provincial Peoples' government He Ping, and the Division Director of the government of Civil Affairs Yang Chengwen.

Speaking at the ceremony for the handover of the tents Luk said, "during the past three weeks, a number of emergency relief teams from the relevant departments in Hong Kong deployed to Sichuan have supported rescue and relief efforts. Their missions have now been successfully completed."

"I am proud of their professionalism and selfless dedication," he said.

In collaboration with the Sichuan HKMAO and other counterpart authorities in Sichuan, Chengdu ETO has given the necessary logistical support to the relief teams.

Luk said Monday's delivery of the tents would mark the start of the second stage of the relief work.

The tents were procured by the HKSAR government, at the request of the Sichuan HKMAO.

Each tent can accommodate 10 to 12 persons. This first batch will be followed shortly by the shipment of another 1,500 similar tents.

He said, "we are grateful to the HKSAR government for sending these urgently needed tents to the earthquake victims."

In the light of the latest situation in the earthquake-stricken areas, Luk also advised voluntary groups and volunteers not go to quake-hit areas for the time being, except for professional relief teams which had made prior arrangements through the relevant mainland authorities.

He said the most direct and effective way to help earthquake victims would be through relief donations.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2008)