Chinese man opens wallet for fund

Generous responses from around the world reflect the international nature of Canterbury's tragedy, reports Lincoln Tan

A Chinese businessman has donated $100,000 to the Christchuch quake appeal after reading about the plight of 20 Chinese missing and feared dead in the central city.

Raymond Huo, New Zealand's only China-born MP, said he received a weekend call  from Yaxun Zhang, a member of the Henan Chamber of Commerce, offering the donation after having read the report "Chinese grieve for those lost amid rubble" online.

"That story showed the international nature of this sad tragedy. Mr Zhang said it woke him up to the reality of how hard it had hit the Chinese community here," Mr Huo said.

"He has family members living in Auckland, and told me he will immediately make the cheque available for me to collect."

Mr Huo said  his instructions were to donate it through the New Zealand Soong Qingling Foundation.

Police have said up to 100 of the victims  are from overseas, including up to 24 Chinese feared dead.

Mr Huo, who speaks Mandarin, says he is making a trip to meet families of the Chinese victims in Christchurch tomorrow.

The families had been told that although autopsies  are expected to be completed by the end of the week, it could take months before  bodies  can be identified and released to them.

Performers coming from Taiwan for this month's Auckland Arts Festival  will  be donating their first night's takings to Christchurch, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office director Carl Yang said yesterday.

Taipei's U Theatre is coming  to perform Sound of the Ocean next week.

"The performers feel it is only right that they play their part to help those who are suffering from the quake," he said. "The earthquake hit Christchurch, but it also hit the rest of us from around the world especially those with people who have not been found."

Mr Yang said a Taiwanese nurse who was studying English in the collapsed CTV building still remains missing.

Social service organisations and ethnic communities in Auckland will be meeting today  at the Auckland Regional Migrant Services office  to discuss  ways to provide support for people fleeing damaged homes and aftershocks.

Nearly 70,000 have left the  city, and more than 20,000 are expected to be heading for Auckland.

The service's  executive director, Mary Dawson, said those at the meeting will "share what support is available, tell what their ...  organisation can do to help, and hear what others can do".