UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised on Friday the Chinese government for its fast and effective efforts to save earthquake victims.

"The secretary-general commended Beijing authorities for their fast and effective action and expressed his sincere condolences to the victims and their families," Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas told a noon briefing at the UN Headquarters.

"While fully confident in the Chinese government's capacity to manage the crisis, the UN has offered resources from the central emergency response fund and is dispatching experts for rescue and relief operations," she added.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2008)