Setting aside tensions, Taiwan president offers aid to China after deadly quake

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen showed condolences to China on Tuesday and gave her government’s support after an earthquake took away precious lives of exceeding than 100 people on the northern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. Serious stress between Taipei and Beijing, which understands the democratically ruled island as its own territory, have soared in the last four years, as China wants to assert its independence claims.

But putting that aside, Tsai gave via a statement on the X social media platform her “serious condolences” to all those who had lost loved ones. “We pray that all those impacted get the aid they require and deserve, and we hope for a fast recovery. Taiwan stands all set to provide assistance in the disaster response attempt,” she added, writing in English and simplified Chinese characters, which are used in China but not Taiwan.

Tsai has showed condolences to China before for disasters, involving past year after an earthquake in Sichuan province. Taiwan, which many times suffers its own earthquakes, sent a rescue team to China in 2008 after a massive temblor struck the same province of Sichuan, murdering around 70,000 people and leading to extensive destruction.