China

Taiwan earthquake: US, other Taipei

allies send messages of support as rescue
efforts continue
Published: 12:40pm, 4 Apr 2024

The US on Wednesday said it was monitoring the situation in Taiwan hours after
the strongest earthquake to hit the island in more than two decades struck and
prompted an outpouring of support from Taipei’s allies.
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the eastern side of the island around the
county and city of Hualien on Wednesday morning. It left more than 900 injured, at
least nine dead and 56 people trapped in two coal mines, tunnels and damaged
roads.
“We are monitoring reports of the earthquake impacting Taiwan and continue to
monitor its potential impact on Japan,” said US National Security Council
spokesperson Adrienne Watson in a White House statement.
“The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance. All those
affected are in our prayers.”

Later on Wednesday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said

Washington was in “close contact” with the American Institute in Taiwan, the de
facto American embassy in Taipei, regarding the earthquake and tsunami warnings.
He described the relationship with the island as “long-standing” and “rock-solid”.
The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings in southern Japan and the Philippines.
The alerts were later retracted.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has stated his country is ready to provide
any support necessary to Taiwan, “a neighbor across the sea”, according to the
Kyodo News agency.
“To the people of Taiwan, I am deeply saddened to hear that a large earthquake has
occurred in eastern Taiwan, causing extensive damage. I would like to express my
heartfelt sympathies to those affected,” Kishida said on X, formerly Twitter.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi in a press conference said Japan had
not received any formal request for help and that Taiwan was handling the natural
calamity on its own.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr also offered his condolences on X. “Our
hearts are with the people of Taiwan as they endure the aftermath of today’s
powerful earthquake,’’ Marcos said.
“We stand ready to assist and support our fellow Filipinos in Taiwan in any way
possible during this difficult period, " he added.
US President Joe Biden will host Kishida and Marcos for a summit next week to
discuss economic relations and the Indo-Pacific. White House Press Secretary
Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday ruled out any change of schedule due to the
earthquake.
Video clips shared on social media showed terrified commuters tightly holding on
to handrails on trains. The tremors caused building collapses, power outages and
landslides. Water from a rooftop pool was seen cascading down like a waterfall.
Schools and workplaces remained closed across Hualien, with high-speed railway
service disrupted.