China and Japan are willing to provide assistance to Taiwan after quake

Baku. 6 February. REPORT.AZ/ Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent a message of condolence to Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou, following Saturday morning's powerful earthquake.

Report informs citing the foreign media, Abe says in the message he is deeply worried by reports of severe damage from the quake in southern Taiwan. He said he sincerely prays for the souls of the victims and offers his sympathy to those who suffered losses. The prime minister said Japan is willing to offer any necessary assistance to Taiwan.

Mainland China also said it was willing to assist in the wake of a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that stuck southern Taiwan earlier in the day.
Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光), spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) under the State Council, was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying that the mainland was willing to provide rescue and relief assistance to Taiwan, if necessary.

Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), the semi-official body responsible for exchanges with Taiwan in the absence of government-to-government contact between the two sides, will formally raise the issue soon with its Taiwanese counterpart the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), Ma said.

According to Ma, ARATS has been in contact with the SEF since 6:00 a.m. and offered its condolences after the quake, which struck southern Taiwan at 3:57 a.m. Saturday.