Taiwan President Lai Ching-te offered assistance to Japan on Tuesday after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region of southwestern Japan.
Lai wrote on his official X account, posting in both Chinese and Japanese, that Taiwan and Japan are true friends who stand together in times of adversity. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, he conveyed sincere condolences.
Lai said Taiwan is ready to provide support at any time and has disaster response teams on standby.
The quake hit southwestern Japan on Tuesday evening local time. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami advisories for coastal areas. Emergency services reported a number of injuries and structural damage, though the full extent was still being assessed.
Taiwan and Japan share a history of mutual disaster assistance. Japan sent relief teams to Taiwan after the 2016 Tainan earthquake and the 1999 Jiji earthquake. Taiwan raised hundreds of millions of dollars in donations for Japan after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
The offer carries political weight. Lai’s government is not recognized by most of the international community due to China’s objections, but direct offers of humanitarian assistance give Taiwan a way to demonstrate international solidarity without formal diplomatic channels.
Japan and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, but they maintain close unofficial ties and have a strong record of cooperation on disaster response.