BEIJING - Chinese authorities on Sunday ordered faster customs clearance of aid materials and timely transfer of foreign-currency donations to support relief work in the earthquake-hit region.

Customs officials should set up special service windows to ensure 24-hour clearance of quake relief materials, the General Administration of Customs said in a statement.

Earthquake Strikes Ya'an, Sichuan

Emergency goods can pass customs without being checked as long as required papers are submitted later, the administration said.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange said it will ensure smooth transfer of foreign exchange for the purpose of quake aid and facilitate the forex receipts and payments in goods trade by companies in quake-hit areas.

Foreign-invested firms in those regions can conduct forex capital settlement through simpler procedures, while Chinese enterprises there will be given support in seeking overseas funding, the SAFE said in a statement.

Transaction fees will be reduced or exempted on financial institutions in quake-hit areas in their deals on the inter-bank forex market, according to the SAFE.

Death toll has risen to 186 so far after a 7.0-magnitude quake jolted Lushan County of Ya'an City, Sichuan province, at 8:02 am Saturday Beijing time, with 21 people reported missing and 11,393 others injured, according to latest statistics gathered by the provincial emergency response command center.