The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, expressed concern over the recent earthquake that occurred in Sichuan Province and conveyed his profound sympathy for those people affected by the disaster.

In a letter sent on Wednesday (9 August), Mr Chui expressed his deepest condolences on the matter to the Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) of Sichuan Province, Mr Wang Dongming, and the Governor of Sichuan Province, Mr Yin Li.

At 9.19pm on Tuesday (8 August), a 7.0-magnitude earthquake – that struck at a depth of 20 kilometres – jolted Jiuzhaigou County in the Aba Tibetan-Qiang Nationalities Autonomous Prefecture, in Sichuan Province.

In his letter, Mr Chui said the people of Macao were highly concerned about the impact of the earthquake, which caused huge losses and affected many people in Sichuan. The Chief Executive expressed his sincere condolences – on behalf of the Government and the people of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) – to the families of the victims and the people in Sichuan affected by the disaster. He also expressed his utmost respect for the people engaged in rescue work and for those treating people injured during the disaster.

Mr Chui said he believed that under the leadership of the Central Government, with support from across the country, and the guidance from the Provincial Government, effective rescue measures were being taken in order to try and limit the number of fatalities. He added that he hoped that the people of Sichuan would be able to cope with the expected short-term challenges brought about by the disaster, and resume their normal lives as quickly as possible so as to ensure the steady development of society.