(Hong Kong, 24 July 2003) The Li Ka Shing Foundation today announced the donation of 2,100 tonnes of rice worth over HK$12 million to Anhui and Yunnan provinces to help one million residents respectively affected by the flood and the earthquake in those areas.

The "Pik Heung To" brand of rice is managed under H.L.J. Hutchison Whampoa Agricultural Development Company Limited, and is cultivated in the rich soil zone of Qiqihier of Heilongjiang. With the protection of natural resources at the habitat, Pik Heung To can guarantee its quality as a healthy green food.

A spokesman for the Foundation said, the flooding and the earthquake have caused extensive damage and the victims require a great amount of food and provisions to help them through this difficult period.

"Rice has always been a staple food for the Chinese people. By donating rice, the Foundation hopes that it will be the fastest and most direct way to benefit the victims. A representative of the Foundation will personally supervise the delivery of the rice and ensure that it is distributed to the victims as early as possible," the spokesman said.

Over the years, Mr. Li Ka-shing has donated over HK$160 million to aid disaster relief efforts in China, including the East China flood in 1991, the South China flood in 1994, and Yunnan earthquake in 1996, and Yangtze river flood in 1998, the snow storm in Inner Mongolia in 2001, and the flood in western China last year.

For further information, please contact: