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Taiwan earthquake: Taipei rebuffs aid offer from mainland China as disaster toll rises to 9 dead, 934 injured

  • Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen says the ‘priority now is to save people’ but island’s government says ‘there is no need for the mainland side to assist us’
  • Some semiconductor firms evacuated entire plants or partially closed factories while others have continued normal operations

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Buildings collapse in eastern Taiwan as island hit its strongest earthquake in 25 years

Buildings collapse in eastern Taiwan as island hit its strongest earthquake in 25 years
Lawrence Chungin TaipeiandXinlu Liangin Beijing
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The Taiwanese government has rebuffed an offer of help extended by Beijing as the island contends with the aftermath of a deadly 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck on Wednesday morning, killing at least nine people.

At least 934 people are reported injured and 56 remain trapped in the quake that struck off the east coast at 7.58am and sparked tsunami warnings.

Soon after the disaster, Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council offered the island disaster assistance.

In response, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said in a short statement there was no need for the mainland to help.

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“We noticed that the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office had expressed concern about the earthquake in waters off Hualien this morning. We greatly appreciate its concern, but there is no need for the mainland side to assist us in disaster relief,” the statement said.

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