China Ready to Send Rescue, Medical Teams to Quake-Hit Japan

China is ready to send rescue and medical teams to Japan which was hit by a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake hours ago, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Friday.

Jiang said China is greatly concerned and expresses deep sympathy to Japan for the casualties and major property losses caused by the earthquake.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has sent messages to their counterparts Naoto Kan and Takeaki Matsumoto, respectively, expressing deep sympathy and condolence to the Japanese government and people and China's willingness to help, Jiang said.

The devastating earthquake hit Japan Friday afternoon and triggered powerful Tsunami. Nuclear power plants were shut up, traffic on the Shinkansen high-speed railway lines suspended and Narita International Airport closed.

Chinese earthquake rescuers are prepared to go to Japan to join earthquake relief work if needed, Director of the China Earthquake Administration Chen Jianmin said Friday.

China's International Rescue Team has put its members, equipment, materials and medicines on standby and are ready to depart for Japan at any time, Chen told Xinhua.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2011)