In an unexpected development, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen set aside the dispute with China and offered condolences to Beijing on Tuesday after the deadly earthquake in the country killed more than 100 people, even offering her government's help. Decades-long tensions between China and Taiwan have soared in recent years, as Beijing views the island nation as its own territory.
However, tragedy struck China as a powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.2 rocked the Gansu and Qinghai provinces, killing at least 127 people and leaving over 700 injured, while damaging roads, knocking out power and communication lines and leaving residents in the freezing-cold weather. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an all-out search and rescue efforts to minimise the casualties in the tremor-hit region.
As emergency workers searched for the missing in collapsed buildings and at least one landslide, people who lost their homes were preparing to spend a cold winter night in tents at hastily erected evacuation sites. This is considered the deadliest earthquake in nine years after an earthquake in August 2014 killed 617 people in southwest China's Yunnan province.
Setting aside the tensions, Tsai offered condolences for the Chinese people and offered assistance to the relief and rescue efforts. "My sincere condolences to all those who have lost loved ones in the recent earthquake in northwestern China. We pray that all those affected receive the aid they need, and we hope for a swift recovery. Taiwan stands ready to offer assistance in the disaster response effort," she said on X.
Taiwan's assistance to China
Taiwan's fire department said it had assembled a search and rescue team of 160 people, four dogs and 13 tonnes of supplies ready to go to China if requested. China has not responded on whether it will allow any overseas rescue teams to help with the disaster management effort.
The outgoing Taiwanese President has previously offered condolences to China for disasters, including an earthquake in Sichuan province. It sent a rescue team to China in 2008, when a 7.9 earthquake killed nearly 70,000 people in the Sichuan province and devastated towns and schools.
China-Taiwan tensions
Tsai's offer comes as Taiwan levelled allegations of electoral interference against China ahead of a presidential election next month, as Beijing intensified its military incursions near the self-governed island country. The Taiwanese claimed at least two Chinese balloons flew north of Taiwan on Sunday.
It was the second time this month that Taiwan reported a Chinese balloon near its territory after one crossed southwest of Keelung on December 7. Such incursions occur regularly as a means of advertising China’s threat to use force to annex the self-governing island republic it considers its own territory.
Taipei is preparing for a presidential election on January 13. The front-runner, current Vice President William Lai of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, has been criticised by Beijing as a "separatist". Lai has said he wants to maintain peace and the status quo in relations with China.
Taiwan split from China amid a civil war in 1949, but Beijing continues to regard the island of 23 million with its high-tech economy as Chinese territory and has been steadily upping its threat to achieve that goal by military force if necessary.
Last month, China flew as many as 43 military aircraft and seven ships near the self-ruled island, largely seen as an attempt by Beijing to sway Taiwan’s presidential election in January. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which leans toward formal independence for the island, is anathema to the Chinese government. China backs the Opposition candidates who bat for working with the mainland.
(with inputs from Reuters, AP)
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