A Chinese tanker carrying 20,000 tons of fuel donated by the Chinese government to Japan as disaster relief arrived at Etajima port of Hiroshima Prefecture in western Japan on Saturday.

Lu Keijian, Minister-Counsellor at the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Japan and Tokuro Furuya, director of the Japan-China Economic Affairs Division of the Japanese Foreign Ministry exchanged notes on the handover of the fuel at the Etajima port.

Furuya expressed thanks for China's disaster-relief fuel as well as other relief supplies after a devastating earthquake and a massive tsunami hit Japan on March 11.

The tanker "Shengchi," with 10,000 tons of gasoline and 10,000 tons of diesel, left Dalian Port in northeast China's Liaoning Province on March 29. After unloading the gasoline at Etajima, the tanker is expected to sail to Ehime Prefecture to deliver the diesel there on Saturday.

The Chinese government announced on March 16 that it will donate the fuel to Japan after the quake in response to a request by the Japanese government.

China has extended to Japan various disaster supplies including tents, blankets and mineral water, since the disaster which has left more than 27,000 people dead or missing.