Chinese Ministry of Finance on Wednesday issued this year's fourth batch of renminbi (RMB) sovereign bonds worth 9 billion yuan (about 1.26 billion U.S. dollars) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
The issuance includes two-year, three-year and 10-year bonds, each worth 3 billion yuan (about 419 million U.S. dollars).
This marks the 16th consecutive year of RMB sovereign bond issuance in Hong Kong, bringing the total issuance to over 300 billion yuan (about 41.94 billion U.S. dollars).
The Ministry of Finance plans to issue a total of 55 billion yuan (about 7.69 billion U.S. dollars) in RMB sovereign bonds in six batches in the HKSAR this year.
The first three batches, totaling 32 billion yuan (about 4.47 billion U.S. dollars), have already been successfully issued.
China issues 9-bln-yuan sovereign bonds in Hong Kong
China issues 9-bln-yuan sovereign bonds in Hong Kong
China issues 9-bln-yuan sovereign bonds in Hong Kong
China issues 9-bln-yuan sovereign bonds in Hong Kong
Efforts are continuing to search for survivors of last Friday's powerful earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, as other post-disaster work proceeds in some parts of the city at the same time to clear the rubble of collapsed buildings, provide medical care for the injured and proper shelter for the affected, and prevent the spread of potential diseases.
According to a Myanmar rescuer participating in search and rescue operations in the country's second-largest city, the clock is ticking down to find more survivors who remain buried under the debris of collapsed buildings more than five days after the 7.9-magnitude earthquake rocked the country. The disaster has claimed 3,085 lives, injured 4,715, and left 341 more missing, the Information Team of the State Administration Council said on Thursday local time.
"The top priority for us rescuers is finding more survivors. But since a long time has already passed, our next main task will be to recover the bodies of the victims," Ko Kyaw Min, head of a rescue team from Hpakant, a town in Kachin State, told China Central Television (CCTV) in an interview on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operations as well as epidemic prevention and control efforts in Mandalay are facing multiple hurdles such as a lack of power and water supplies, a communication blackout, and high temperatures that have persisted for days.
The relevant authorities in Mandalay are going all out to restore electricity, water and communication services in the stricken areas and have brought in large machinery to clear the rubble and debris.
An air route dedicated to disaster relief has been put into operation at the city's airport since Wednesday, and another civil aviation route is expected to open on Friday, a CCTV reporter learned from local officials.
The city is also seeing more medical teams arriving to assist in treating the injured, and more relief supplies such as tents, food, drinking water, and medicine are pouring in and being distributed to the affected locals.
Post-disaster relief work ongoing in Mandalay as authorities strive to restore basic services
