Chief Secretary Henry Tang has arrived in Sichuan, heading a delegation to inspect the latest progress of Hong Kong Government funded reconstruction projects.

The delegation visited the site of the Shuimo Middle School in Shuimo Town of Wenchuan this morning. The school is a reconstruction project jointly funded by Hong Kong and Guangdong's Foshan Municipality. The project is expected to be finished in August.

In the afternoon, Mr Tang visited the site of the Hanwang Town Government building in Mianzhu, where the Fire Services Department rescue team had conducted rescue operations in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.

Local officials briefed Mr Tang on the rescue operations and the restoration and reconstruction plan. The Hong Kong Government will assist in the reconstruction of the Dongqi Primary School and the Dongqi Hospital relocated from Hanwang to Deyang.

The delegation then visited the entry point of the Mianmao Highway. This project will reconstruct the seriously devastated existing passage, and connect the two severely damaged areas of Deyang municipaltiy and Aba prefecture.

The delegation also visited the No. 1 Primary School in Deyang, and the Yuanjia Primary School in the Jingyang District of Deyang. The latter is a project undertaken jointly by the Rotary Club of Kowloon West and the Association of Engineering Professionals in Society Ltd, with funding support from public donations and the trust fund in support of reconstruction in the Sichuan earthquake-stricken areas.

Mr Tang will hold a working meeting with representatives of the Sichuan Provincial Government tomorrow and attend the signing ceremony for the letter of intent on Hong Kong's third-stage reconstruction support work. The delegation will return to Hong Kong tomorrow.