China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has expressed its concern about the earthquake and offered assistance.
State media says Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the office, extended heartfelt condolences to those affected.
She said Beijing was closely monitoring developments and was willing to provide support for disaster relief efforts.
Beijing claims Taiwan is part of its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of the island.
On Wednesday morning, Taiwan reported that some 30 Chinese military aircraft had been detected around the island over the previous 24 hours, one of the highest daily numbers this year.
The Defense Ministry said 20 of the planes crossed into the island’s so-called air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
Taiwan’s armed forces “monitored the situation and employed (patrol) aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities,” it said in a statement.
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