Asian leaders offer assistance for Japan earthquake response

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK -- From the Philippines to South Korea, leaders in Asia and beyond have extended support to Japan following the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Sea of Japan coast on New Year's Day.

The death toll from the quake, which affected a wide area around the Noto Peninsula region in Ishikawa prefecture, had reached 55 as of Tuesday night in Japan. Over 57,000 people have been evacuated, Japan's Cabinet Office reports.

"We have made the offer to assist in any way that we can," Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "In the face of shared climate challenges within the Pacific Ring of Fire, we stand united with Japan and stay ready to provide support from the Philippines."

"We are in close collaboration with the Japanese government" to secure the welfare of Filipinos in Japan, he also said.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol extended his condolences to the earthquake's victims in a message to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday. He expressed his intent to assist with Japan's recovery from the earthquake.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin addressed the matter in a news conference.

"We express our condolences over the loss of lives and our sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured," Wang said on Tuesday.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen extended her "heartfelt sympathy" in a Monday post on X. She said Taiwan was prepared to provide "necessary cooperation" to Japan.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry has offered support to Japan through the latter's de facto embassy in Taipei. It instructed relevant offices to assess the welfare of Taiwanese individuals in Japan.

Support has poured in from beyond Asia as well.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday said his thoughts were with Japan, and that the U.S. "stands ready to provide any necessary assistance."

"As close allies, the United States and Japan share a deep bond of friendship that unites our people," he said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his thoughts were with "all those affected."

"Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is a great friend of the U.K., and we stand ready to support Japan and are monitoring developments closely," he said.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed solidarity with Japan and offered assistance.